Strict demands in exchange of assistance
The European Union is preparing to seriously amend its policy on former Soviet countries and has already set stricter demands in exchange for assistance, announced EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule.
According to him, the official Brussels is preparing to place the revised version of the European Neighborhood program into circulation in May.
"After the revision, we will continue to lead the same policy on our neighboring countries in the south and the eastt. However, there will be more differences not only between the South and the East, but within those regions as well," said Fule.
The high-ranking European offiical says new EU diplomatic corpuses and the recently established Service for International Operations will participate in the implementation of this policy.
"To put it shortly, the more reforms, the more advantages. This is the principle that we will apply," said Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorsky whose country will be taking over the EU presidency for six months starting in July.
The European diplomats state that the slower the implementation of reforms for the European Neighborhood-member countries, the less those countries' presidents can expect from the official Brussels.
The European Union is already applying certain sanctions against Belarus, which has deviated from the course of reforms and diplomats say these sanctions may be restricted.
Slovakia's foreign minister has announced that he is preparing to present new economic sanctions in April if the official Minsk doesn't suspend assaults against the opposition by then.
"I have always been of the opinion that only fierce and strict economic sanctions can help, especially for the release of those arrested for political motives," said Slovakia's Foreign Minister Mikulas Dzurinda.
