Lukashenka is not expected at Eastern Partnership summit

It is not yet the time for Belarus to be represented at the highest level at an Eastern Partnership summit.

Such an opinion came from Poland’s ambassador Leszek Szerepka at a press-conference held on 14 November in Minsk devoted to Poland’s Independence Day, BelaPAN reports.

“The level of representation depends on the level of relations between Belarus and the European Union. It is not yet time for representation at the highest level”, - the Polish ambassador said.

According to him, there are “unambiguous signals on the part of Brussels as to whom we would want to see in Vilnius”. “I think, the Belarusian party read this signal very well. Remember, who represented Belarus at the summit in Prague (at the EaP summit in Prague in 2009 Belarus was represented by the first vice-Prime Minister Uladzimir Siamashka and Siarhej Martynau – the then Foreign Minister). Our relations were then much better”, - Leszek Szerepka noted.

At the same time he emphasized: the country should decide itself on who will represent it at the upcoming summit.

Answering a qualifying question as to what the European Union will do should black-listed Lukashenka decide to come to the summit, the ambassador said: “If there is such a decision, we will think about it”.

Leszek Szerepka added: “We constantly hear promises to release political prisoners, but not more than that”.

The Eastern Partnership summit will take place in Vilnius (Lithuania) on 28-29 November. On 15 October Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Andrius Krivas passed the invitations to the heads of the diplomatic missions of the EaP participating countries to Lithuania for the states to participate in the initiative’s third summit.

Belarus received a general invitation to the summit. It is yet unknown, who will come to the summit in Vilnius. On 24 October the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Uladzimir Makej claimed: “The decision on who will represent Belarus at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius will be made shortly”.