There are still issues that concern the European Union in its relationship with Belarus, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics told reporters in Minsk on Wednesday after a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart, Uladzimir Makey.
“The normalization of Belarus’ relations with the EU is going well,” Mr. Rinkevics said. “But there are still issues that concern us. These are the abolition of the death penalty, the registration of political parties and media freedom. We understand that there are issues that cannot be resolved quickly. But there is progress. It will continue.”
Mr. Rinkevics expressed cautious optimism about the prospects of the EU-Belarus relationship. “But do not expect a breakthrough,” he warned. “There will still be many disputes and many discussions.”
In particular, he said that there was not yet a framework agreement between Belarus and the EU.
