MINSK - Belarus is ready for a more open dialogue with the EU now that the European Union has lifted the sanctions against Minsk, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Vice-President Alain Pilloux in Minsk on Thursday.
“Things have changed, and Belarus can maintain a more open dialogue with the EU. This is a good message, a factor both for you and for us. It is possible to bolster cooperation. Most importantly, Belarus is ready to do that,” the BelTA news agency has quoted the Belarusian president as saying.
Business partners value Belarus’ honesty, Lukashenko said, adding that the republic was prepared to cooperate with the EBRD under this principle.
“We will not curry favor with you, and we will not deceive you. Whenever we take on some obligations, we will fulfill them at any cost,” the president said.
The EBRD has always cooperated with Belarus, even when the country had complicated relations with the European Union and the United States, he said. The total investment made by the bank since 1992 nears 1.8 billion euro.
In the words of Pilloux, the bank has done a lot in Belarus and is prepared to do more.Pilloux is paying a working visit to Belarus. He is discussing preparation of the EBRD strategy for Belarus for the period of 2016-2019 with the Belarusian authorities. The bank plans to publish a draft of the strategy in April.
