EU preparing new option of agreements with Belarus and Armenia- Luxembourg foreign minister says
The European Union is preparing a new option of agreements to sign with Belarus and Armenia that will bind these countries and the EU far less than the association agreement, Jean Asselborn, the foreign minister of EU-chairing Luxembourg, said, according to Novosti Armenia news agency.
"We are looking for a system that would not break all the bridges. We understand that the association agreements (with Belarus and Armenia) are impossible and everybody is willing to find a lighter, less persistent and fundamental option…It will be something on a lower leve;, I cannot say how it may be called,” Asselborn told reporters after an informal meeting of foreign ministers of EU member states to discuss relations with the countries of the Eastern Partnership and Russia, RIA Novosti reported.
He said the new option would not provide for customs privileges, but ‘it will have a lot of other things which we are just developing," he said when asked to elaborate on the new agreement option.
"We conveyed this offer to Armenia. It responded positively. In Belarus, there is also a kind of a positive movement. Europe must not miss the opportunity that appears (in a relationship) with this country. We should not focus on the regime, we should think about the people", the Luxembourg minister said.
The Eastern Partnership program includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova signed association and free trade zone agreements with the EU in June 2014. -- 0--