Estonian MFA: Belarusians must have visa-free regime with Europe earlier than Russians

The EU should establish visa-free regime with participants of the Eastern Partnership in the first instance.

“The political logic is clear here. The issue of visa facilitation with Russia can and should move forward. But it will hardly be reasonable from a political point of view to solve this question with Russia earlier than with the participants of the Eastern Partnership programme,” Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told in an interview to Interfax.

In Paet’s view, it will be unfair towards partner states which have advantages in cooperation with the EU and not less rights than Russia has. In this respect he criticized the recent statement by his Italian colleague Franco Frattini, who said Russia could have a visa-free regime with the EU in 2010.

Frattini thinks this issue can be settled by a majority vote rather than by consensus after the Lisbon Treaty comes into force. Paet said agreement of all EU members on the issue was necessary.

“The EU foreign policy is one of few areas where consensus is needed after the Lisbon Treaty comes into force,” the Estonian Foreign Minister emphasized.

The Eastern Partnership is an initiative of the European Union aimed at deepening integration between the EU and six ex-Soviet states, Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Belarus.

The project, which offers political and economic rapprochement with the EU, but doesn’t foresee the EU membership, was launched in Prague in May 2009.

Six ex-Soviet republics will be granted additional financial support of $350mn until 2013 within the framework of the project.

The Eastern Partnership programme is aimed at creating better conditions for negotiators on free-trade zones and signing agreements on partnership and visa facilitation.