Events

MINSK, 24 February (BelTA) – Belarus is ready to do its utmost to promote cooperation in the area from Lisbon to Vladivostok, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service Helga Maria Schmid on 24 February, BelTA has learned.

“Our cooperation in the format “from Lisbon to Vladivostok” might not be a thing of the distant future. The idea seems very promising. As Belarus holds presidency in the Eurasian Economic Union, the country is ready to do its utmost to make the project a reality. I think that we can engage in a meaningful dialogue in order to promote this kind of relations,” the Belarusian President noted.

Alexander Lukashenko gave his take on the cooperation within the framework of the Eastern Partnership Initiative where Belarus is a member. According to the head of state, Belarus joined the initiative hoping that this will help build a bridge between the East and West. “This is how it should be. The recent developments have shown that we should not create additional dividing lines. The Eastern Partnership Initiative is meant to unite countries, not bring them apart. We need to look for common ground within the framework of the EaP project and bring the partner states together. This will benefit the European Union, Europe in general and the entire planet,” the Belarusian leader believes.

Helga Maria Schmid agreed that the Eastern Partnership Initiative should not create new dividing lines in Europe. “It was meant to facilitate the development of the partner states and promote stability in the region. All the EaP partner states are independent and equal,” the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service said.