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Belarus – EU Partnership: First Results and New Perspectives
At the end of 2006, the European Union submitted to the Republic of Belarus the Country Strategy Paper for 2007 – 2013 and the National Program for 2007 – 2010. The document emphasizes that, given the general line of building the EU's relations with Belarus at this stage, the EU pursues in cooperation with our country in the first three goals: support of the population, the direct and indirect support for democratization and mitigation of the impact of self-isolation of the country to its citizens.
In turn, these goals are reflected in the National Program for the years 2007 – 2010 in two main areas:
- Social and economic development, including measures to mitigate the effects of the Chernobyl disaster;
- Democratic development and responsible state governance.
For the period 2007 – 2010, Belarus has been granted funding of $ 20 million for the National Program within the European Neighborhood Policy Instrument. This instrument began its operation in 2007 and replaced the TACIS Program for Belarus.
Unfortunately, we must note that this strategy and the National Program has not made significant positive changes in the development of EU’s relations with our country, both in respect to its limitedness to certain areas, and modest funding.
The year 2007 can be called the “year of stagnation” of relations between the EU and Belarus. On 20 December 2006 the EU adopted a decision to expel Belarus from the Generalized System of Preferences since June 2007 that led to financial losses for Belarus in trade relations with the EU. However, the year 2008 brought a positive trend in the relations between the EU and Belarus: in the preparation and holding of parliamentary elections in September 2008 in Belarus, the EU Council on 13 October adopted decision to resume contacts with the Belarusian authorities and to suspend for six months the ban on entry into the EU-ranking Belarusian officials, in respect of which such restrictions.
Decisions of the European Council on 13 October 2008 presented a clear signal for the beginning of a new stage of relations between the EU and Belarus, where after more than a decade of limited contacts at the highest level of the principal decision on the resumption of a dialogue with the leadership of our country. The EU did not deny the subjective approach in building relations with the Republic of Belarus, where democratic values can be interpreted according to their own benefit and the degree of the EU's European aspirations of the partner country, in this case Belarus. If we analyze the assessment of post-Soviet countries of the EU and the level he proposed cooperation with the EU, the Republic of Belarus is at the least favorable position compared with other countries. And in the case with the countries of North Africa, who competently participate in the European Neighbourhood Policy, in contrast to our country that is listed there in name only, then the question arises about the criteria for evaluation. It is unlikely that the EU is trying all these years to see Belarus as a model democratic state, and only then start full-fledged development of relations with Belarus. Nevertheless, it should be noted that an important event in bilateral relations was the opening of the Representation of the Commission of European Communities (CEC) in Minsk in 2008.
In 2009, there were significant intensification of contacts of representatives of the EU and the Republic of Belarus, it is obviously mutual desire to improve relations and develop new approaches for more effective interaction. So, on 19 February 2009 there was the first visit of the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, during which he met with President of the Republic of Belarus A. Lukashenko. At the meeting both sides expressed interest in developing a constructive relationship. In particular, Solana said that “The European Union considers Belarus as a European country”. “This is absolutely normal development of the situation, if the relations between Belarus and the EU will be a normal relationship”. In turn, President A. Lukashenko said the intention express openly “everything that Belarus is ready to do to establish an absolutely close and trusting relationship with the European Union”.
The Republic of Belarus signed the Prague Declaration on the “Eastern Partnership” on 7 May 2009, stressing the importance of the European vector of foreign policy. The cooperation between Belarus and the EU from 1997 to 2008 was sufficiently unbalanced. The inclusion of Belarus into Eastern Partnership has allowed politicians to intensify bilateral contacts to a greater extent, to a lesser - economic. Decisions of the Council of the European Union of the years 2008 – 2010 years have not removed the restrictions on our part fully, however, contributed to a new phase step in the relationship.
Full participation of Belarus in the ENP and Eastern Partnership will depend on the bilateral aspirations to develop partnerships. In this regard an important statement was made by the Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, Stefan Fule, on 15 November 2010 at a press conference in Minsk: Belarus made progress on certain issues related to the political situation.... The dialogue between the EU and Belarus should become more structured on the basis of interaction with civil society institutions... The EU has already begun discussing a joint interim plan, which concerns the provision of assistance to Belarus. This plan would promote relations in all spheres. Plan will form the basis for bilateral ambitious programs that relate to human rights and democracy”.
The EU has a particular interest to Belarus, first of all, as a transit corridor to Russia, and secondly, to implement long-term goals of forming a Common European Economic Space, and, thirdly, to ensure stability and security, primarily and the eastern border of the enlarged EU, as well as the entire European continent,.
The Belarusian side also understands the importance of building good-neighborly relations with the European Union for the successful economic development and full participation in international cooperation to address both national and pan-European issues [42-43, 85, 131, 161]. In the long term objective Belarus is interested in intensifying trade and economic relations with the EU. Given the high degree of openness and export oriented economy of Belarus, of course, the market opportunities of the European Union for Belarus are attractive in many aspects,.
Thus, it is necessary to note that, first, full cooperation with the EU is important for Belarus as an international actor, and secondly, the enlargement is a positive process for Belarus in the long run, third, special attention should be paid to the political sphere, the relationship to maximize the benefits of the EU enlargement. Fourthly, the construction of relations with the European Union should take into account the interdependence and consistency of internal and external policies in all spheres, which is one of the pillars of security, sustainable development, prosperity and stability of any state, including Belarus.
© National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2011
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