Official Minsk makes further steps to improve ties with EU

Alexander Lukashenka has signed two decrees to allow for a more efficient dialogue on a wide range of issues regarding the relations between Belarus and the European Union. According to the press office of the head of the state, the measures give a go-ahead to sign an agreement between the government of Belarus and the European Commission which stipulates a status and conditions of the implementation of technical assistance that the European Union will render to Belarus in the framework of the EU's Neighborhood and Partnership program.  It is assumed that "a systemic basis has been given to the interaction between the Republic of Belarus and the European Union to allow for a more efficient implementation of joint projects in the fields of mutual interests", reports the Russian news agency Interfax.