New Bilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreements

Belarus is negotiating new bilateral trade and economic cooperation agreements regarding the European Union (EU) enlargement. The earlier agreement signed with Hungary and the Czech Republic lost validity on May 1, 2004 due to the countries’ obligations to the EU. In April Belarus signed new trade and economic agreements with Poland and Latvia, and amended current agreements with Slovakia and Estonia. "Belarus is a responsible and reliable neighbor of the European Union. Besides, Belarus is an important factor of Europe’s security and economic interaction in the region. The new border of the European Union should not become a separation line and barrier for cooperation,” representative of the Belarusian MFA stated. Belarus is interested in bilateral trade and economic relations with all EU countries, and hopes to develop dialogue between Minsk and Brussels. According to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, after the EU enlargement the share of the EU in Belarusian foreign trade will rise from 18% to 35%. Currently, Belarusian trade with the EU is at about U.S. $ 1 billion, and it may increase dramatically.