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EU Council is expected to receive recommendations for visa facilitation talks with Belarus this month

The European Commission is expected to submit recommendations for talks on a visa facilitation agreement with Belarus to the European Union's Council later this month, Volha Stuzhynskaya, director of the Brussels-based Office for a Democratic Belarus, told BelaPAN.

She said that the matter had been discussed at a public hearing on relations between Belarus and the EU in Brussels on May 11.

The EU Council called for preparing the recommendations in November last year.

The EU Council will decide on the beginning of visa facilitation talks with Belarus and this decision is not a formality or technical procedure as the dialogue between Belarus and the EU is not unconditional, Ms. Stuzhynskaya said.

The 27-nation bloc criticized the conduct of April's local elections, a lack of media freedom and the trial of Vawkavysk businessman Mikalay Awtukhovich, she noted, adding that the EU was still determined to continue its dialogue with Belarus.

Journalist Vadim Vileita, who took part in the hearing, said that European Commission representatives were optimistic about the prospect of signing the agreement with Belarus soon.

He said that the European Commission was drawing up an interim plan of priority reforms that could be implemented in Belarus in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy. The plan also would describe a strategy for relations with Belarus.

Catherine Ashton, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, was said to be studying the plan this past February.