Sergei Martynov: Today Doctor Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, is visiting Minsk. We held negotiations with him here in the Foreign Ministry, and later there was a meeting and a conversation with the President of the Republic of Belarus that made up the core of Doctor Solana’s visit today in Minsk.

We discussed relations between Belarus and the European Union, prospects and future of our relations, issues of what both sides could seek to undertake to improve those relations, as well as the ‘Eastern Partnership’ which is an initiative of the European Union for that geographical area.

We believe that today’s meeting was important and efficient and will continue co-operation.

BelTA: You’ve mentioned that Belarus is specially placed in the ‘Eastern Partnership’. How can you describe that place? What is this special thing that the EU expects from Belarus, and what sort of areas are promising for cooperation?

Sergei Martynov: We have repeatedly said both on our part and in contacts with the European Union that the geography itself sets the role of our relations. This is cooperation in economy, energy, transit, fight against new challenges, including illegal migration, organized crime, etc., all the way to environment. On all these issues, we continue our dialogue with the European Commission now and we are looking forward to concrete projects in this cooperation.