Council of EU: Cooperation With Belarus Possible Only After Truly Democratic Government Elected :: Charter'97 :: News

Foreign Ministers of 25 countries - members of the EU at a meeting on Monday in Luxembourg made a decision to include Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia into the bloc’s “European Neighborhood Policy”. As the materials of the European Union Council meeting distributed by of the Chief Secretariat say, these countries are to receive equal opportunities to develop cooperation with the EU, and it will create a wide variety of chances for all target countries.

The participants of the meeting also told that it is important to finish elaboration of the projects of cooperation with the countries already included in the European Neighborhood Policy – Ukraine, Moldova, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Israel and Palestinian autonomy. Besides, the Council confirmed the readiness of the EU to build partnership with Libya.

Besides, the ministers told that they are interested in partnership between the EU and Belarus. However it was underlined that inclusion of Belarus into the European Neighborhood Policy is possible only after a really democratic government would be elected.

In addition, the Council confirmed the willingness to assist Belarus in overcoming aftermaths of the Charnobyl catastrophe, as well as in the education sphere, health protection and nature protection spheres, cross-border and regional cooperation, development of independent mass media.