Belarus suspends participation in Eastern Partnership initiative
Belarus has suspended its participation in the Eastern Partnership initiative of the European Union, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement posted on its website on 28 June, BelTA news agency reported.
Head of the European Union's Delegation to Belarus Dirk Schuebel was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 28 June. The ministry informed him about the concrete steps Belarus has been forced to take in response to the unprecedented restrictive measures imposed on the country by the EU. One of these steps is the suspension of Belarus' participation in the EU's Eastern Partnership initiative.
To note, the Eastern Partnership initiative involved six post-Soviet countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The initiative is aimed at promoting political association and economic integration with the European Union.