Belarus - Achievements
The EU’s offer to re-engage with Belarus was set out in the document What the EU could bring to Belarus, which the Commission released in November 2006 and which offers Belarus to enter a full partnership, as part of the European Neighbourhood Policy, provided that Belarus takes convincing steps towards democratisation, respect for human rights and the rule of law. It contains concrete examples of how the people of Belarus could gain from a rapprochement between the EU and Belarus.
The principle objectives of the relations between the EU and Belarus therefore revolve around supporting the needs of the population, supporting democratisation directly and indirectly, and mitigating the effects of the self-isolation of Belarus on its population.
The priority areas as set forward in the National Indicative Programme 2007-2010 are therefore:
- Social and economic development, including actions to alleviate the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe, and;
- Democratic development and good governance
Steps by the Belarusian authorities to address the country’s democratic governance shortcomings remain limited, and it has so far not been possible to make progress towards a partnership. At the same time, contacts at the technical level on issues of mutual interest are being encouraged.
The EU continues to help to strengthen democracy and civil society in Belarus. In 2006, the EC provided support worth €4.5 million to finance scholarships for Belarusian students expelled from university on political grounds.
