OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus is interested in liberalizing mutual trade with the European Union, Vice-Premier of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov said as he met with the head of the EC Delegation in Ukraine and Belarus, Mr Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira, in Minsk on December 18, reported the Official website www.government.by.

“The Government of Belarus takes very seriously the opportunities to intensify the relations with the European Union. The prerequisites are in place now to smooth out the relations between Belarus and EU,” Andrei Kobyakov said.

The Vice-Premier named the two factors that will help improve the Belarus-EU relations. First of all, this is the decision of the October session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union in Luxembourg, which lays down the basis for resuming a political dialogue. Secondly, the cooperation “with our key European partners on the key issues of mutual interest” has been expanding and taking tangible forms, Andrei Kobyakov said.

According to him, Belarus views the EU decision of October 13, 2008 “as intermediary on the way towards the full-fledged relations.” Belarus is expecting additional steps on the part of the EU to develop these decisions.

The Vice-Premier also expressed the hope that “in April 2009 the issues of visa requirements will be removed from the agenda forever.”

He also noted that Belarus is interested in effective cooperation with the European Union in the areas of mutual interest, first and foremost, in economy. The EU Office in Minsk can be used by both sides to further the development and strengthening of the relations between Belarus and the European Union, Andrei Kobyakov said.

According to the Vice-Premier, the juridical issues between Belarus and the European Union will be high on the future agenda. The agreement on partnership and cooperation and interim agreement on trade have not come into force though they were adopted a long time ago. As a result, they have become irrelevant and require finalizing. Thereupon, we need to think over the formalization of the relations between Belarus and the European Union and start developing a new agreement on partnership and cooperation, the official said.

Belarus is interested in liberalization of the mutual trade with EU. It concerns the status of the user of the EU Generalised System of Preferences. “We believe that the work of the European Commission in Belarus will help promote the mutual dialogue,” the Vice Premier highlighted.

Belarus and the European Union intend to sign a declaration on cooperation in the power engineering area in early 2009, said Head of EC Delegation in Ukraine and Belarus Mr Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira as he met with Vice-Premier of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov in Minsk on December 18.

Mr Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira informed that the European Commission is studying the possibility of Belarus joining the financial support programmes of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank.

Mr Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira held a meeting with Vice-Premier of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov following the meeting with Belarus Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov during which the copies of credentials were handed over.

According to the Head of EC Delegation, these meetings and the future framework agreement between the government of Belarus and the European Commission “reflect the new trends of cooperation at the given moment.” Mr Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira said that the participants of the session of the EU ministerial council that gathered in Luxemburg in October expressed hope for the resumption of full-fledged relations and intensification of the technical cooperation with Belarus.

“We initiated holding new conferences in other areas in addition to the existing areas of cooperation. The first round of consultations in the areas of food security and agriculture was held in Minsk on December 1-2. We are considering the possibility to hold the first round of consultations on the cooperation between the financial institutions of Belarus and the EU in early 2009.”

The Head of EC Delegation said that the EU expects Belarus to take steps to implement the designed cooperation projects.

The European Union is interested in normalising relations with Belarus, Head of the EC Delegation in Ukraine and Belarus Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira told media after meeting.
Normalisation of Belarus-EU relations is possible in all areas, said the official.

He noted that in October the Luxembourg session of the EU Foreign Ministers Council made a decision, which allows and enables high-level contacts between officials of Belarus and the European Union.

At present the European Union continues monitoring Belarus in order to take further decisions regarding the development of relations with Belarus. The head of the European Commission mission said he hopes that the normalisation of Belarus-EU relations in all areas will become possible.

In his words, the European Union is interested in normalising relations with Belarus. “We are satisfied with several steps taken by Belarus in line with EU expectations,” said Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira. The changes are visible in view of new proposals of the European Commission concerning eastern partnership. It is part of the summit, which will take place in Prague in May 2009. The event is part of the programme of the Czechia presidency in the European Union, remarked the head of the European Commission mission.

A framework agreement has been signed between the government of Belarus and the Commission of the European Communities in Minsk on December 18. This document is meant to regulate the relations between Belarus and the European Union in the area of technical assistance.

The document was signed by Vice-Premier of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov in the presence of Head of EC Delegation in Ukraine and Belarus Mr Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira.

The Head of EC Delegation told reporters that as early as in 1996 the parties signed an agreement on partnership and cooperation, but it did not come into effect. Now this document was actualized.

According to Mr Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira, if Belarus and the European Union remain committed to the normalization process, the both sides will be interested in setting up a decent legal framework for the development of their relations.

The sides have not reached such a stage in their relations yet, but the expansion of the agreement will always be on the agenda of the Belarus-EU negotiations. This process has already started on the level of experts, Mr Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira said.

In December, a round of consultations was held. It featured new areas of cooperation, namely food security and agriculture. Consultations on the financial, energy and environmental protection cooperation are expected to be held, too. The Head of EC Delegation expressed his hope that these processes will be constructive and fruitful.