BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

21/10/2008

Lukashenko Hails Eu's Steps Towards Belarus

MINSK. Oct 20 (Interfax) - There are no obstacles to the development of relations with Europe, after the European Union scrapped its sanctions against a number of high-ranking Belarusian officials, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.

"I value these steps very much. They were not an easy thing for them to do, given that the EU comprises 27 states. I think we have good prospects in relations with Europe," Lukashenko told journalists near the Yama memorial complex in Minsk, where Jews from the Minsk ghetto were slaughtered 65 years ago.

"Today various obstacle and barriers for dialog [with Europe] have been lifted. We can communicate with Europe, not through the Iron Curtain or the Berlin Wall," the president said.

"Europeans did not feel comfortable over these sanctions," he added.

Further dialog between Belarus and Europe should develop, the president said. "If we behave differently, we will come back to this," Lukashenko said.

Speaking about recent EU's actions, the president noted that "Europe made what was a small or a half-step but it was still significant."

Belarus is ready for "big steps," he added.

Source:

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews+articleid_2722975.html

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