Belarus And Eu: A Complex Relationship

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is not a member of the European Union, but it does maintain a bilateral relationship with the bloc. Belarus has been an active participant in the EU's Eastern Partnership initiative, but in June 2021, it suspended its participation.

Diplomatic relations between Belarus and the EU were established in August 1992, and in March 1995, a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement was signed between the two. However, the EU did not ratify the agreement. Since October 2020, the EU has imposed a series of restrictive measures and sanctions on Belarus in response to the country's political situation and human rights violations.

Belarus has shown no aspirations to join the European Union, and the EU has not offered membership. Belarus has instead sought to strengthen its economic and political ties with Russia, with which it shares a border and has formed a Union State.

Belarus is not a member of the EU

Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Belarus gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and has since established diplomatic relations with almost all European states. Belarus is a member of the United Nations, the CIS, the CSTO, the EAEU, the OSCE, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Relations between Belarus and the EU have been strained since the election of Alexander Lukashenko as the Belarusian leader in 1994. The EU has repeatedly condemned the Belarusian government for its authoritarian and anti-democratic practices, and has imposed sanctions on the country. The EU has also refused to recognise Lukashenko as the legitimate leader of Belarus.

Despite this, Belarus has participated in the EU's Eastern Partnership and has established a visa-free entry for citizens of several EU countries. Belarus has also introduced a visa-free entry for citizens of 70 countries, including the EU. However, in 2021, Belarus suspended its participation in the Eastern Partnership and the readmission agreement with the EU.

The EU has committed to promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Belarus, and has provided assistance to the Belarusian people and civil society. The EU has also imposed restrictive measures against individuals and entities in Belarus, including asset bans, travel bans, and targeted economic sanctions.

While Belarus is not a member of the EU, it has sought to foster economic and political ties with the bloc, and has expressed a willingness to build good neighbourly relations with the EU, particularly with neighbouring states.

Belarus borders five countries, three of which are in the EU

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It borders five countries: Latvia to the north, Lithuania to the northwest, Poland to the west, Russia to the north and the east, and Ukraine to the south. Of these, three—Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland—are members of the European Union. Belarus has shown no aspirations to join the EU but maintains a bilateral relationship with the bloc.

Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland are all located to the west of Belarus. Latvia and Lithuania are the closest neighbouring countries to the capital city of Minsk, at 470km and 215km away, respectively. The total length of Belarus's state border is 3,617km.

Belarus is a medium-sized country, spanning 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) with a population of 9.1 million. It is the 13th largest country in Europe and the 84th largest in the world. The country is divided into six regions, or oblasts: Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk, and Mogilev. Minsk is an independent city that does not belong to any oblast.

The country has a hemiboreal climate and is mostly flat, with hills, flatlands, and lowlands featuring marshes and lakes. Belarus is located in the water basins of the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, and there are almost 11,000 lakes and 20,800 rivers in the country. The biggest rivers are the Dnieper, the Western Dvina, and the Neman.

Belarus has a bilateral relationship with the EU

Belarus's relationship with the EU has been strained since the election of Alexander Lukashenko as leader in 1994. The EU has condemned the Belarusian government several times for its authoritarian and anti-democratic practices, and has imposed sanctions on the country. The EU has also refused to recognise Lukashenko as the legitimate leader of Belarus.

Despite this, there have been periods of improved relations between Belarus and the EU. In 2015, the EU suspended most of its sanctions against Belarus following the release of political prisoners. This led to the lifting of the majority of restrictive measures, enhanced policy dialogue, and increased financial assistance. Negotiations on EU-Belarus Partnership Priorities began in 2016, with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations and setting the strategic framework for cooperation. Belarus has also been an active participant in the EU's Eastern Partnership initiative, although it suspended its membership in 2021.

The EU has committed to promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Belarus. Since 2020, the EU has scaled down its relations with the Belarusian authorities and redirected its assistance towards the Belarusian people and civil society. The EU has also committed to supporting the Belarusian civil society and democratic forces and has provided substantial support to the people of Belarus in six key sectors: civil society, human rights, independent media, education, culture, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in exile.

The EU's financial assistance to the people of Belarus from 2020 to 2024 amounted to almost €140 million through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). The EU has also developed a close engagement with Belarusian people and civil society and has stepped up support in areas such as education, mobility, youth, and the facilitation of people-to-people contacts.

The EU has imposed sanctions on Belarus

Belarus is not a member of the European Union (EU). Mutual relations between the Republic of Belarus and the EU were initially established after the European Economic Community recognised Belarusian independence in 1991. However, the relationship between Minsk and the EU has since deteriorated, with the EU condemning the Belarusian government for authoritarian and anti-democratic practices, and imposing sanctions on the country.

The sanctions imposed by the EU on Belarus include individual restrictive measures against specific individuals and entities. These individuals and entities are subject to an asset ban and a prohibition on making funds available. Natural persons are also subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU territories.

The EU has also introduced targeted economic sanctions against Belarus, including prohibitions on the sale of specific equipment, technology, or software; restrictions on trade in certain goods; broad financial restrictions; and a prohibition on providing insurance to the Belarusian government or public bodies. The EU has also tightened the arms embargo on Belarus and banned Belarusian airliners from using the EU's airspace and airports.

The EU remains committed to promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Belarus. The EU has called on Belarus to cease the repression of civil society and ordinary citizens, release political prisoners, and abolish the death penalty. The EU has also offered support to the Belarusian civil society and democratic forces through various initiatives and programmes.

Belarus suspended its participation in the EU's Eastern Partnership in 2021

Belarus is not a member of the European Union and has shown no aspirations to join. However, it does maintain a bilateral relationship with the bloc and is included in the EU's Eastern Partnership program.

On 28 June 2021, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Belarus would suspend its membership in the Eastern Partnership. This came after the EU had progressively imposed restrictive measures on Belarus since October 2020 in response to developments in the country. The EU had condemned the Belarusian authorities' unacceptable violence against peaceful protesters, intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and detentions following the August 2020 presidential elections. The EU also did not recognise the election results, deeming them neither free nor fair.

The EU-Belarus relationship has been cold and distant since the election of Alexander Lukashenko as the Belarusian leader in 1994. The EU has condemned the Belarusian government several times for its authoritarian and anti-democratic practices and has even imposed sanctions on the country. The deterioration of Belarus-EU relations continued in the 21st century, with the EU imposing sanctions against Belarusian officials, businessmen, and several government-owned companies.

Despite this, there have been some notes of improvement in Belarus-EU relations. In 2015, the EU suspended most sanctions against Belarusian officials, and in 2016, the travel ban imposed on Lukashenko in 2000 was lifted. In 2019, Lukashenko made his first official visit to the EU since sanctions ended, meeting with Austria's Sebastian Kurz to discuss the EU's Eastern Partnership program and further economic initiatives. In 2016, two opposition candidates were elected to Belarus' parliament, which was marked as a step towards democratisation by several EU officials.

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