Meeting with European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn

Belarus is an ardent supporter of the strong EU, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn on 30 January.

“We are ardent supporters of the strong EU. We are totally against centrifugal forces in the EU that are weakening it,” the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that he was not going to flatter anyone by his words. He said it because Belarus is committed to the multi-polar world. “The EU is one of the strongest pillars on our planet, and the destruction of this major pillar of the multi-polar world will lead to the destruction of the systems of security, economy, and other spheres of life,” the President said.

He added that the members of the British royal family and high-ranking representatives of the United Kingdom had recently visited Minsk. He also told them about this position openly and honestly.

At the negotiations Alexander Lukashneko said that Belarus stands ready to make any contribution to the security of the European continent. “Our country is in the heart of Europe. This speaks a lot. You can count on us. We will always stay committed to good-neighborly relations and are ready to make any contribution to the security on the European continent. It is of utmost importance today,” the President said.

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus is interested in expanding economic ties with the EU. “It is the second largest economic union for Belarus. The EU is the second top largest foreign trading partner of Belarus,” he said.

The head of state expressed gratitude for the progress reached in the talks on Belarus’ WTO accession, and the support in the organization of the forums in Vienna and Luxembourg to discuss the prospects of the trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and the EU. “You have done a lot to make these events happen. This is a good contribution to the cooperation between Belarus and the European Union,” the President stressed.

Speaking about the Easrtern Partnership initiaitve, the head of state said: “Of course, an organization cannot exist without politics, but it is inadmissible to turn the Eastern Partnership into an absolutely political organization. And it is inadmissible to make the Eastern Partnership member states view this belt as a dividing zone between the European Union and Russia, China, the East.”

“We pay great attention to our cooperation within the framework of this organization. You can count on us in this regard. Our wish is to make the Eastern Partnership a more down-to-earth and practice-oriented organization,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

In his words, the Eastern Partnership should address the issues that are topical for Europe and promote the projects of vital importance in the energy sector, transport and logistics. “We also need to address the issues related to people’s lives, visa matters so that we could communicate with Europe more fully and freely while you could travel to Belarus without any constraints,” the President added.