MINSK, 25 April (BelTA) - The EU expressed its commitment to the swift conclusion of the negotiations on EU-Belarus Partnership Priorities, the EU Delegation to Belarus told BelTA following the meeting of the EU-Belarus Coordination Group in Minsk.
“The delegations discussed the state of play on EU-Belarus Partnership Priorities, which, once concluded, will mark a new phase of engagement between the EU and Belarus and shape future cooperation based on common interests. The EU expressed its commitment to the swift conclusion of the negotiations on EU-Belarus Partnership Priorities, the delegation said.
“The European Union reconfirmed the importance it attached to relations with Belarus and its commitment to work with Belarus towards a stable, democratic and prosperous future for the benefit of its people,” it said.
A special session was dedicated to human rights and democracy. The EU recognized Belarus' increased cooperation in multilateral fora and the continuation of the bilateral dialogue on human rights, with the agreement to hold the next EU-Belarus Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels on 18 June 2019,” the EU Delegation said.
In the context of the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership initiative, the EU and Belarus discussed the implementation of the 20 deliverables for 2020 and preparations for the Eastern Partnership anniversary events.
The EU and Belarus also discussed the state of and prospects for enhanced sectoral cooperation, including in the areas of economy and finance, trade, digital economy, private sector development, customs, transport, agriculture, environment, education and youth, labor, employment, social protection, research and innovation. The participants also discussed cooperation in the area of statistics, underlining the importance that statistics play in evidence-based policy-making.
“In the context of further promotion of people-to-people contacts, youth and business exchanges, the EU and Belarus welcomed progress in the negotiations on EU-Belarus Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements and discussed implementation of their Mobility Partnership,” the EU Delegation informed.
