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Envoy warns EU over joint programs

Belarus will cooperate with the European Union only under programs that have been approved by the former, Andrey Yewdachenka, Belarus' permanent representative to the European Union based in Brussels, told reporters in Minsk on Monday.

When asked by BelaPAN to comment on the possible involvement of Minsk in the European Union's program called European Dialogue on Modernization, the diplomat said, "This dialogue is purely a program of the European Union, just like all other programs and projects that it has been devising of late with regard to the Eastern Partnership countries. The European Union has stopped seeking our approval for any parameters of documents that are drawn up with regard to this group of countries."

The launch of European Dialogue on Modernization was announced during a visit by Gunnar Wiegand, a senior official of the European Union’s European External Action Service, to Belarus in February this year. According to Mr. Yewdachenka, the EU promised that it would draw up the program in close collaboration with Belarus. "I was to be involved in its development. This was the first condition. The second condition was that the program would target government institutions but, at the same time, the entire Belarusian public," he said, adding that none of the conditions had been fulfilled.

"The Belarusian side has not been invited to the development of the projects, while government institutions have been included in the program residually," the envoy said. "We have repeatedly said that we will not settle for such cooperation. Belarus will be involved only in joint programs that are developed and approved jointly." //BelaPAN