Relations between the European Union and Belarus in 2004-2012 : contribution of Lithuania

ISSN 2029-8684 (online).To paties straipsnio tekstas lietuvių kalba yra žurnale "Politikos mokslų almanachas" [elektroninis išteklius], 2014, nr. 15, p. 111-136. Europos Sąjungos ir Baltarusijos santykiai 2004–2014 metais : Lietuvos vaidmuoThe paper analyses foreign policy of the European Union towards Belarus and the role of Lithuania in this process. It concludes that the EU countries have not yet reached a complete agreement on the implementation of Eastern Partnership policy and its perspectives. Although the EU has been gradually increasing fi nancial support for the Belarusian opposition and NGOs, however, it lacks a concrete strategy on the allocation of these funds so that tangible results could be achieved. Eff orts made by the EU to ensure the continuity of bilateral cooperation are stuck in stagnation, if not on the verge of isolation of Belarus. Lithuania’s policy towards Belarus is inconsistent and subject to changes with new policy makers coming into power. Despite the fact that Lithuania solidarises with interests of the EU on Belarus issue, it also reserves some space for the implementation of exclusively national interestsPolitikos mokslų ir diplomatijos fakult.Politologijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta