You're reading: Poroshenko: Ukraine may help develop relations between Belarus and EU as part of Eastern Partnership

Ukraine may contribute to the development of relations between Belarus and the EU as part of the Eastern Partnership program, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

“We want to support Belarus, if it deems it possible, in the development of its relations as part of the Eastern Partnership [program],” the presidential press service quoted him as saying during the talks between the two delegations in Kyiv on Dec.21.

Poroshenko said that the issue concerned the mechanisms of mutually beneficial use of technology, legislation and financial resources at different levels of partnership, starting with integrated management and ending with energy efficiency.

“For our part, we have achieved significant success in this field,” Poroshenko said.

According to the report, the delegations of the two countries discussed Ukrainian-Belarusian cooperation in the energy sector, in the sphere of security, inter-regional cooperation, as well as interaction in the field of engineering.

“Today we do not envisage the fall of trade with Belarus, but even ensured its growth. I would like to state that Ukraine is sincerely interested in the development of trade, economic, political, and defense relations with maximum intensity,” Poroshenko said.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in turn, noted that Belarus was a reliable and honest partner of Ukraine in political and economic matters.

“We are absolutely transparent. You can completely count on us,” he said.

During the talks, the sides also agreed on information cooperation. The issue concerns the broadcasting of a Ukrainian television channel in Belarus for objective coverage of events in Ukraine.