Holzapfel: It's hard to imagine Eastern Partnership without Belarus

In order to begin negotiations on signing the partnership and cooperation agreement.

"It is hard to imagine the Eastern Partnership without Belarus. It would look very strange", Jean-Erich Holzapfel, Charge d'Affaires of the European Commission in Belarus, said in an interview with the European Radio for Belarus.

Euroradio recalled the words of Siarhei Maskevich, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman at the House of Representatives, who said that Belarus could revise the expediency of our country's participation in the Eastern Partnership, if Belarusian lawmakers were not represented at the Eastern Partnership Parliamentary Assembly (Euronest).

Jean-Erich Holzapfel: "I hope this will not happen, because every side is interested in developing the Eastern Partnership. And Belarus has numerously expressed interest and support to this initiative. If Bealrus decides to withdraw, everyone will lose".

The decision on the composition of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly is the autonomous decision of the European Parliament, reminded Jean-Erich Holzapfel.

The Euronest includes 60 members of the European Parliaments and 10 MPs from each of the partnership nations: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Goergia, Moldova and Ukraine. But it remains unknown who will represent Belarus. The European Parliament does not recognize the House of Representatives of Belarus. Therefore, Brussels can invite only 10 representatives of the opposition and civil society or utilize the 5+5 scheme (5 MPs and 5 opposition representatives). 

A delegation of MEPs has been on a visit in Minsk to hold consultations with political parties and NGOs regarding the composition of the Belarusian delegation in Euronest.

Holzpafel also said that Belarus has not displayed a significant progress on what is termed as EU's basic recommendations, including the absence of political prisoners, media freedom, cooperation with OSCE on reforming the electoral laws, improving conditions for the operation of NGOs, freedom of assembly and political organizations.

Jean-Erich Holzapfel: "As of today, there has been no facts to prove a significant progess on the major conditions which could allow to move forward in terms of ratifying and signing the partnership and cooperation agreement".

But, certain progress is possible soon, when EU and Belarus can begin talks on a plan for reforms in one or two months. The so called Joint Plan for Action is to identify priority reforms that will open way to the frozen ratification of the partnership and cooperation agreement.

Jean-Erich Holzaprfel also hopes that Belarus and Lithuania will soon sign an agreement on the visa-free regime in trans-border areas. According to the diplomat, Belarus has informed that agreements between Belarus, Poland and Lithuania on visa-tree trans-border travel will become effective very soon.