Belarus says ready to work with EU

Belarus is ready to cooperate with the EUropean Union (EU) while taking into account its own national interests, President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday.

When meeting with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in Minsk, Lukashenko thanked Austria for its contribution to the rapprochement between Belarus and the EU.

In 2018, the trade between Belarus and Austria amounted to more than 170 million U.S. dollars. The Belarusian leader said that figure should be higher.

The president also said he is against any weakening or breakup of the EU. The EU must be modernized but in no way in the direction of a breakup, he added.

Kurz said he expects Lukashenko to visit Austria within the next six months. "We will be able to deepen our relationship step by step in this way," he added.