On 1–2 March, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Sergei Martynov was on official visit to Hungary.

He met with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Balázs to discuss how the relationship between the two countries could further develop. They agreed to intensify regular contacts between the Foreign and other Ministries.

Trade and economic co-operation was at the heart of the discussion, with a focus on leveraging the newly Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation. Both sides agreed the work on an investment protection agreement between Belarus and Hungary should be finalized without delay.

The two Ministers exchanged diplomatic notes that signalled the entering into force of the intergovernmental agreement on co-operation in education, science and culture (sealed in May 2009) starting from 1 March 2010.

The Belarus-EU dialogue and Eastern Partnership (EP) were also in the limelight of the discussion. The two Ministers talked about what kind of projects could deliver for the benefits of the Eastern Partnership participating countries and about the ways of attracting money of the European financial institutions to provide wherewithal for these projects.

Sergei Martynov and Péter Balázs agreed there was a need to continue joint efforts on easing the travel of the Belarusian nationals to the EU.

The meeting with Péter Balázs was followed by thorough discussions in the Hungarian Government and National Assembly.

A critical part of the Minister’s visit to Hungary was participation in a joint ministerial meeting Visegrad Group + Eastern Partnership + Baltic States + EU Troika held on the initiative of Hungary as the incumbent chair of V4.

The meeting provided for a root-and-branch discussion over the ways of the implementation of the Eastern Partnership programme. The participating countries flagged up their interest in having a well substantialized Eastern Partnership, with active project activities. The need for money of the European financial institutions to help realize the EP projects was noted as critical.

The ministerial meeting also concentrated on how to simplify the visa regime between the EU and participating countries. The meeting voiced support for creating a group of friends of the Eastern Partnership to encourage participation of third countries in carrying out major projects of regional nature.

At the meeting, Sergei Martynov in his address highlighted the Belarus approach towards the Eastern Partnership, its project activities and parliamentary dimension.

He announced a number of proposals to help ensure the EP is a genuinely vibrant and action-oriented initiative. In particular, he proposed to hold in the European capitals kind of showcases of projects to be implemented under the EP to attract support of major international donors, and to create a forum of the Eastern development that would see producers, businesses, investors, banks and experts of the EP participating countries and EU Member States linked into a single network.

The Foreign Minister also met bilaterally with a number of his counterparts and later addressed the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs.