From prince-hero to zero: Belarusian dictator invited for EU summit

Prince Karel Schwarzenberg, foreign minister of the Czech Republic holding the EU presidency, extended an invitation to Alyaksandr Lukashenka to visit the summit launching the EU’s European Partnership program in Prague on May 7.

Belarusian foreign minister Syarhei Martynau told it journalists in Minsk on April 17.

According to Schwarzenberg, the Belarusian ruler hasn’t confirmed his personal presence at the summit. The Czech minister noted Belarus would take an independent decision on how it would be represented at the Prague summit.

The Czech minister of foreign affaires added the Belarusian head of state would take a decision on who would represent Belarus at the summit in accordance with the Belarusian law.

The Eastern Partnership program is a Polish-Swedish initiative, introduced in May 2008 and approved by the European Union in June. The program offers opportunities for six post-Soviet countries – Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and also Belarus – on condition of democratization of the country.

Within the frameworks of the initiative the EU will offer to sign an agreement on association and a new economic zone creating, which will become a base for developing the common inner market.