Equal cooperation with East and West without artificial choice between them is important for Belarus

22 июня 2017

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said this on the eve of a meeting with the foreign ministers of the CEI countries. This year Minsk presides in the organization, which includes 18 countries. A key initiative of our state is to promote compatibility and complementarity in Europe.

The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Central European Initiative took place in Minsk. The key issues were the issues of combining efforts in combating new challenges, including migration. As a result, priorities for cooperation have been agreed upon for two years. In addition, the candidacy of Croatia was approved for the post of the next chairman of the organization.

The Palace of Independence is the site, where Minsk agreements for Ukraine were signed. Diplomats note that Belarus' contribution to the peace process is more than just geography, it is a contribution to the security of the whole of Europe. The experience and success of Minsk is needed more than ever by the continent.

Igor Crnadak, Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina: "It is important to unite our efforts, we need cooperation with all states in the region."

The problems and issues proposed by Belarus are very important.

The main message of Belarus as the chairman of the CEI is compatibility and complementarity at the Eurasian crossroads. The driving forces are the Eurasian and European unions, the CIS, the Eastern Partnership, the Nordic Nordic Council. The president offers integration based on trust.

The message of the Belarusian leader was heard by high guests. They appreciated what has been said and, what is more important, made by Belarus.

We have been working on migration law for 15 years, and our borders are one of the safest in the EU. Our contribution is the program for the development of human capital: this is education, employment, mobility, and the scientific foundation of development. In addition, Belarus is among the five most active participants in CEI joint projects, fr om ecology to logistics.

The initiative is beneficial to Belarus also in terms of improving relations with the European Union. Through pragmatic and applied projects and dialogue formats, Minsk and Brussels together make a return to political dialogue.

Such an outspoken approach usually caused discreet diplomats to respond to frankness. The ministers promised to support the rapprochement of official Minsk and Brussels.

Péter Szijjártó, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Hungary: "At all meetings, we support the strengthening of cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Belarus, which should be based on mutual trust." You can always count on the support of the Central European countries in a spirit of mutual respect."

Miroslav Lajcak, Slovak Foreign Minister: "We had a very interesting meeting with the President, wh ere we talked not only about the program, about the chairmanship of Belarus in the CEI, but also he gave his vision of the world, the environment, the situation in Ukraine, terrorism, migration issues, Belarus' domestic policy, which was very interesting for all participants. "

The accents of diplomats are on new challenges including terrorism, cross-border crime and migration. Experts noted that the problems of the European Union are being solved in Belarus, and the country is not even a potential EU member. And it's not so much about finance, as about trust and pragmatism. Our goals are common.

They discussed the intensification of the political dialogue, economic cooperation. We are experiencing a time of great change in the relations between the countries of Europe, between Europe and Asia. New interesting opportunities are opening up, but in order to use them, we must conduct an equally frank dialogue, better understand each other's social and economic situation, and not start from meaningless disputes. Yes, Belarus is not a member of the European Union, but the range of our common interests is huge and diverse.

Another nuance is the development of the Chinese initiative "One Belt / One Road. Belarus is a European leader in its implementation and this is valuable for colleagues. Great Stone, transit corridors, joint ventures, science and investments are our unique experience.

Vladimir Makei, Belarusian Foreign Minister:" Belarus considers its chairmanship in the CEI as an opportunity to intensify the participation in the European integration processes with an emphasis on the economic component. We also set ourselves the goal of maximally contributing to the solution of the common economic and social problems facing the countries of the region.”

Margot Klestil-Leffler, Deputy Secretary General of the Central European Initiative: "We are able to unite our efforts to solve the problems. For example, we managed to overcome the negative impact of migration on our economies."