Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 5 October (BelTA) - More active steps are needed to facilitate the access for the countries participating in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative to the European Union market, Belarus’ Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Oleg Kravchenko said at a meeting of senior officials of the Eastern Partnership participating states and the European Union member states, BelTA learned from the press service the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"In his speech at the plenary meeting Oleg Kravchenko stressed the need for more active steps to promote trade and facilitate access for the Eastern Partnership countries to the EU market through the convergence of standards, EU export permits to enterprises of these countries, preliminary exchange of customs information,” the press ministry said.

Belarus is interested in the further development of cooperation within the framework of the EU initiative, with emphasis on the tangible economic results, the deputy minister said. He welcomed the progress in the development of specific investment projects in transport and digitalization of economy, the agreement of the Eastern Partnership countries to reduce mobile roaming tariffs, cooperation in youth policy and education.

Oleg Kravchenko expressed his support for establishing direct interaction between the EU and the EAEU as key trading Eastern Partnership partners. The head of the Belarusian delegation noted the importance of launching a number of sectoral financial instruments of the EaP initiative as soon as possible. He emphasized that all countries need equal access to the resources of the European Fund for Sustainable Development.

The participants reviewed the implementation of the Eastern Partnership Summit agreements signed in Brussels in November 2017, including "Eastern Partnership - 20 Deliverables for 2020". The meeting also discussed an interim report on each of the deliverables, which will be submitted for approval at the Eastern Partnership ministerial meeting in Luxembourg on 15 October 2018.

The deputy minister held meetings with Thomas Mayr-Harting, Executive Director for Europe and Central Asia in the European External Action Service, representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs of the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden. During the talks the parties discussed topical issues of Belarus-EU relations in the bilateral and the Eastern Partnership formats.