“Most notably, there are more Belarusians who want more Europe, democracy and human rights in Belarus compared to those who adhere to the opposite view. <...> Belarus is a crucial partner for Lithuania. Not coincidentally, all the four main priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, including energy security, the Baltic Sea Strategy, protection of EU’s external borders, and the Eastern Partnership, are associated with Belarus. <...> I would like to emphasize that Lithuania is looking forward to the membership of Belarus in the European Union,” said Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas and Chair of the Committee on European Affairs in his welcoming speech at the meeting in the Seimas with the representatives of Belarusian political parties: Alexander Milinkevich, Anatoly Lebedko, Ryhor Kostusjov and Vitaly Rymashevsky.

Mr Kirkilas noted that a survey carried out by the EU Eastern Partnership barometer in November–December 2012 demonstrated that 65 % of Belarusians want the EU to play a greater role in the economic development of Belarus, 71 % would be interested in increased trade between Belarus and the EU, and 53 % would welcome greater EU’s involvement with Belarus in regional cooperation. In addition, 42 % of Belarusians would appreciate the EU’s greater support for human rights in Belarus, and 34 % are not keen on that; 45 % of Belarusians would welcome EU backing to democracy in Belarus, and 35 % are against it.

Belarus has been on the multilateral track of the EU Eastern Partnership policy since 2008–2009 and benefits from EU’s financial support. In late March 2012, the EU also launched a modernisation dialogue with the Belarusian society aimed at tangible democratic changes in Belarus stemming from the Belarusian civil society.

Morta Vidūnaitė,  Adviser to Gediminas Kirkilas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6278, mob. +370  612 01121, e-mail: [email protected]