MINSK, 17 November (BelTA) – I hope that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko will attend the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels, German Vice Chancellor, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel told the media in Minsk on 17 November, BelTA has learned.
“We are on the eve of the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels which Belarus will attend. We have high hopes that the president will be able to come because it would be a good signal,” Sigmar Gabriel said.
Speaking about the settlement of the conflict in the south-east of Ukraine, he thanked Belarus' willingness to do everything possible for its early settlement and expressed the view that Germany and Belarus feel the close connection and set similar goals in this matter.
In addition, Sigmar Gabriel expressed hope that Belarus will become a member of the Council of Europe, and this will contribute towards greater rapprochement with the countries of the European Union and will strengthen partnership. The parties have already found the right way to discuss various topics, including the difficult ones, the vice chancellor noted.