Germany doubts Belarus may be included in Eastern Partnership

Participation of Belarus in the EU’s program Eastern Partnership is in doubt, the Federal Foreign Office of Germany says.

In particular, it was expressed by deputy German Minister of State for Europe, social democrat Günter Gloser.

The other five countries – Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – have open prospects to join the program.

It was said on March for at a session of the Bundestag’s Committee on Affairs of the European Union. German deputy foreign minister also stressed that EU’s partnership with the post-Soviet countries doesn’t have an aim of competing with Russia.

Uncertainty of the German leadership in a question of Belarus’s participation in the European Partnership evokes criticism of the left wing of the parliament. They asked what criteria would be taken into consideration by the European Union to decide on Belarus’s participation in the program.

It should be reminded that Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU’s Commissioner for Foreign Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy said earlier that Belarus should fulfil some EU’s conditions to be included in the Eastern Partnership program.

“Belarus should demonstrate democratic progress, B. Ferrero-Waldner noted.

According to her, EU’s representatives should study the situation in Belarus: EU’s conditions must be fulfilled. Not only approved.

The EU also counts Belarus won’t recognize independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. If the country recognizes these republics, it will be a step backward from cooperation with the EU and participation of Belarus in the Eastern Partnership initiative, Ms Ferrero-Waldner noted.

B. Ferrero-Waldner is to pay her first visit to Belarus on March 12–13.