Belarus sees great potential in cooperation with the European Union, Belarus' Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Oleg Kravchenko said at the opening of the 17th Minsk Forum highlighting Belarus' place in Europe, opportunities for foreign policy, economy, civil society, and culture. The forum is taking place in the Belarusian capital on 4-6 December, BelTA has learned. 

“Our foreign policy, our diplomacy are multi-pronged. We do not try to play on contradictions. We try to smooth them out. This has a significant potential for cooperation between our country and the European Union, which can turn into dividends for both of us,” the deputy minister said. 

“The analysis of the recent years shows that contacts have intensified in all areas. Visits of EU commissioners and foreign ministers to Belarus have moved from the category of sensations into the category of everyday routine,” said Oleg Kravchenko. “Our talks are increasingly focused on practical issues of mutual interest.” 

As for bilateral relations with Germany, the deputy minister called milestones the visit of Vice Chancellor, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Sigmar Gabriel to Belarus in 2017 to participate in the 15th Minsk Forum, the visit of Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Belarus, and also the visit of Belarus Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei to Berlin. 

According to Oleg Kravchenko, important agreements were reached during the exchange of visits, including the decision to work out the possibility of creating a special consultative format to develop a strategic vision and a road map for bilateral cooperation in various areas. 

Oleg Kravchenko also mentioned the visit of a representative delegation of German business circles to Minsk, the organization of a number of Belarusian-German economic forums and the regular meeting of the joint Business Council.

 In accordance with the agreement at the highest level, the Belarusian-German commission of historians has been formed and will start work in the near future.

 The deputy minister also called important the twinning relations between the cities and regions of Belarus and Germany. In October 2019, a partnership agreement was signed between Mogilev and Wittenberg.