Belarus will expand relations with the EU

Issues of cooperation between Belarus and the European Union were discussed in Minsk. The main topics are security, economic growth and protection of the rights of citizens, reports MIR 24.During the meeting, the European parliamentarians highly appreciated the introduction by the Belarusian authorities of a visa-free regime for foreigners. In the summer it was extended to 30 days. What the tourists took advantage of. Over the past year, more than 150,000 foreign citizens visited the republic. “It is remarkable that success was achieved in the direction of tourism development. People who would like to visit Belarus now have such an opportunity thanks to the abolition of visas, ”said Bogdan Zdroevsky, head of the delegation of the European Parliament for relations with the Republic of Belarus.



“I am sure that the prestige of the European parliamentarians is very high, that similar retaliatory steps were taken from your side. I would like to see reciprocal steps so that Belarusians can also move around Europe more freely, ”said the deputy chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus.Add, from the beginning of this year, trade with the EU grew by 37%.
Riga authorities will maintain cooperation with a Russian company that has fallen under EU and US sanctions
The Riga City Council does not intend to terminate the cooperation agreement with the Russian companies of OJSC Giprostroymost Institute, which is included in the EU and US sanctions lists. On Monday, the TASS correspondent was informed by a representative of the Department of Transport (Transport) of the City Council Una Ahuna-Ozola.According to her, the Riga City Council signed a cooperation agreement with G. B. V, the structure of which includes the Giprostroymost Institute, in 2016, even before this company was on the sanction lists. The cooperation agreement involves the design of a section of the road in Riga, and the work on this project is almost completed. "Giprostroymost" it remains to complete only 3.8% of the amount of work indicated in the department of the message."Taking into account the amount of work done and the fact that this is one of the projects co-financed by the EU, which will be completed by the end of 2020, the Department of Communications is not considering the possibility of terminating the contract," said Ahuna-Ozola.According to the ministry, in June 2018, the department received a letter from the country's Foreign Ministry, which clearly stated that the ban on cooperation with the companies included in the sanction lists would not apply to projects already started.In this regard, the Department of Communications also appealed to the Latvian Foreign Ministry with a request to withdraw its commentary, which the Ministry provided on the eve of the TV3 channel. It says that working with companies on the sanction lists may be subject to criminal liability.In July, the EU expanded the sanctions list related to the reunification of Crimea with Russia, as well as the construction of a bridge across the Kerch Strait. Such organizations as JSC Giprostroymost OJSC, Mostotrest PJSC,