The European Commission’s plan for economic assistance to Belarus for at least € 3 billion includes financial injections from European banks, assistance in structural reforms, as well as investment in infrastructure, environmental and digital transformation. This was reported by TIme with reference to a summary of the plan, the authenticity of which was confirmed by the Belarusian opposition. Belarus will be able to get help only in the case of democratization.
“As soon as Belarus embarks on a democratic path, the EU will provide immediate and long-term support as a matter of priority,” the publication quotes an excerpt from the document. It is planned to support the reforms with the participation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The plan provides assistance in three main areas:
- Restore the economy through financial injections. The EU will mobilize up to € 1.5 billion of macro-financial assistance to Belarus, and it is also planned to attract European investors to the republic.
- Supporting structural reforms and improving competitiveness. This includes judicial reform, reform of state banks, reform of higher education, protection of private property, and more.
- Investing in infrastructure, environmental and digital transformation. Mobilizing at least € 100 million in grants to attract up to € 1 billion in public and private investment aimed at the environmental and digital transformation of the country.
In addition, the plan affects the sphere of political relations between Belarus and the EU. The document says that as soon as the country embarks on the path of democratic transition, the European Union will propose a bilateral framework agreement that strengthens long-term relations between them.
The preparation of the plan began back in October 2020, when Brussels did not recognize the results of the presidential elections in Belarus. On May 24, it became known that the European Union froze an investment package of Belarus in the amount of € 3 billion amid the incident with the Ryanair plane.
About the position of Belarus in the situation with the aircraft – in the material of “Kommersant” “Bratsk Fortress”.
.