BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

18/02/2009

EU foreign policy chief to visit Belarus Feb. 19

BRUSSELS, February 18 (RIA Novosti) - Javier Solana will arrive in Minsk on Thursday to meet with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a spokesman for the European Union foreign policy chief said on Wednesday.

Solana will also meet with Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov and opposition leaders. "The visit will be an opportunity to discuss the situation in Belarus, EU-Belarus relations and regional issues," the spokesman said.

Belarus's long-serving leader, once dubbed "Europe's last dictator" by Washington, has moved to improve ties with the EU, which had long criticized his records on human rights and democracy. In October, the EU suspended for six months travel restrictions and other sanctions against Belarus's leadership, including Lukashenko.

The leaders were banned from entering the EU and had their assets frozen following the 2006 presidential election, which international observers said did not comply with democratic norms.

Relations between the EU and Belarus have thawed since Belarusian authorities eased political restrictions ahead of elections last year and further improved with the release of several political prisoners last month.

Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov is expected to attend a January 26 meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels at the invitation of the Czech Republic, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency.

The EU plans to include Belarus in its new program, Eastern Partnership, on the condition that Minsk complies with EU demands on the country's democratization.

The Czech Republic earlier said it planned to invite President Lukashenko to the next EU summit, to be held in Prague this spring.

Source:

http://en.rian.ru/world/20090218/120207771.html

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