EU for first time ready to welcome Lukashenko to Eastern Partnership

Baku. 10 October. REPORT.AZ/ The EU sources say that for the first time, the bloc is ready to welcome Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to its Eastern Partnership (EaP) summit in Brussels, November 24.

Report informs, Radio Liberty quotes the EU sources.

EU representatives stressed that Belarus was invited to participate in the summit "without restrictions" - just like the five other EaP members: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

Ahead of the previous four EaP summits, the EU made it clear that Lukashenko was not welcome.

The invitations for the event were sent to EaP countries on October 6.

The Eastern Partnership program aimed at bringing the EU closer to its six eastern neighbors - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, started in 2009 at a summit in Prague. It was initiated by Poland and Sweden.