The
European Union foreign ministers approved the European Commission’s Eastern Partnership
proposal. An official paper to that effect will be presented during a summit in
Brussels on
December 11 and 12. The European Commission unveiled the Eastern
Partnership project earlier this month. It is aimed at establishing closer ties
with six post-Soviet countries, including Belarus, if its government shows
itself open to democratic reform, BelaPAN reported.
The project provides for increased cooperation in four key areas: democracy and
the rule of law, the harmonization of economic systems and rules, energy
security, and people-to-people contacts, including visa liberalization.
