Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 11 December (BelTA) – Belarus and the European Union are ready to start talks on the framework agreement, but no certain dates have been set yet, Belarus’ Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Oleg Kravchenko told the media at the forum European Union and Eastern Partnership: Approaches to Regional Cooperation on 11 December, BelTA has learned.

“Commissioner Johannes Hahn [Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations] announced the readiness to start discussing the future agreement on partnership and cooperation when he met with our prime minister at the Belarusian-European Investment Forum in Luxembourg. This is a good sign,” Oleg Kravchenko said.

According to the deputy minister, Belarus is ready to start talks on the framework agreement with the European Union. There is no certain date for the talks, however. The parties are still to decide on the positions to be described in the document and whether the document will be similar to the framework agreements of the European Union with other partners.

“We will have to negotiate the things the European Union will be able to do and the things we will be able to do,” the diplomat said.