Lukashenka wants Eastern Partnership to be changed to answer his needs

The Belarusian authorities want to see the Eastern Partnership reformatted.

Aliaksandr Lukashenka noted it at a meeting with Johannes Hahn, the EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, BelTA reports.

“It would be good to refocus the EaP from politics (probably, this stage is already behind us) to closer concrete cooperation in economy,” he said.

We need to avoid, and we manage to do it, directing the partnership against anyone. It should be for the sake of cooperation,” Lukashenka said, explaining that he meant the relations with Russia and the People’s Republic of China.

“We are developing this dimension in order to improve people's lives and to ensure security in the European continent,” he added. The Eastern Partnership is a project created by the European Union. Its main aim is the rapprochement between the EU and six countries – Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Belarus. The next EaP summit will be held in Riga in May.