The "reprehensible" steps taken by the Minsk government "cannot remain without an adequate response from the EU," Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said before attending the informal Gymnich meeting of foreign ministers of the European Union, which will take place on Thursday and Friday in Berlin.
He said, according to a Foreign Ministry (MAE) release sent to AGERPRES, that he would support "sanctioning those guilty of the abuses committed in the electoral and post-electoral context" in Belarus.
"The situation in Belarus continues to be of the utmost concern, and here I am also considering also the recent decisions by the authorities to detain members of the Opposition's Coordinating Council and other representatives of the protest movement yesterday. These reprehensible steps of the power in Mink cannot be left without an adequate response from the EU. I will reiterate in the discussions with my European colleagues in Berlin the support for sanctioning those guilty of abuses committed in the electoral and post-electoral context," the Romanian official stated, according to the MAE.
He added that the meeting would discuss "the best ways to support concretely civil society, the free press and the people of Belarus."
"Thus, I will inform my counterparts that I have started the procedure for allocating a voluntary financial contribution of 100,000 euros from the budget for development assistance and humanitarian assistance for 2020, managed by the MAE and the International Development Cooperation Agency (RoAid), in order to support independent journalism and civil society in Belarus," said the head of the Romanian diplomacy.
The agenda of the talks is broad, focusing on important EU foreign policy issues and also on recent developments in the Union's neighborhood. Thus, the working sessions will address the situation in Belarus, EU-Turkey relations, including in the context of tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, and EU-Russia relations. The ministers will also discuss the geopolitical impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the EU's international role.
According to the release, the developments in Belarus have triggered a rapid reaction at EU level, and the discussions by European foreign ministers in Gymnich format will ensure the continuation of debates at the special meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on 14 August 2020 and the extraordinary European Council meeting on 19 August 2020. Ministers will focus in particular on EU measures to support civil society and Belarusian citizens, including the imposition of sanctions, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said.
The ministers will also have an exchange of views on EU-Turkey relations, in the context of maintaining tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, to identify solutions to overcome the current deadlock and to reflect on the future of EU relations with this strategic partner. Minister Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate the importance of European solidarity and the need to identify solutions by exclusively peaceful means and to engage the parties in negotiations based on their legitimate interests, in compliance with international law.
At the same time, the EU-Russia relations will be discussed from the perspective of the objectives of the European Union, as well as the way in which Russia respects its international commitments. The European External Action Service (EEAS) together with the EU member states will evaluate, to this end, the results of the EU's actions so far, as well as ways to improve them in the future.
Regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministers will try, together with the EEAS, to identify geopolitical challenges for the coming years, given that the pandemic has had the effect of provoking and accelerating global trends, with an impact on multilateralism and other parameters of international relations.
Emphasis will be placed on how the EU can protect and strengthen its interests and influence beyond its borders. According to the MAE, Minister Bogdan Aurescu will emphasize the importance of accurately measuring the impact of these trends on the EU's global role and position, identifying those that are favorable and contrary to the Union's interests and objectives, in order to establish concrete measures that the EU must take to defend its interests and achieve its objectives in the neighborhood and globally.
Ahead of the Gymnich meeting, there will be a luncheon, whose guest will be Israeli Foreign Minister Gabriel Ashkenazi to discuss the latest developments in the region, the prospects for the Middle East Peace Process and the EU-Israel relations. Minister Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate Romania's position according to which the only viable option for the Peace Process is the solution of the two states, which the parties can achieve only by engaging in direct negotiations, in compliance with international law, and will support the strengthening of the EU-Israel relationship and dialogue.
AGERPRES .
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