According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus there were positive advances in relations between Belarus and the European Union in 2007, Press Secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Andrei Popov told media. “With satisfaction we state that last year saw an entire range of significant joint events held together with the European Union and its member-states,” said Andrei Popov. Exchange visits of officials of the European Union and Belarus took place, including visits of officials of the government of the Republic of Belarus and top executives of the Foreign Ministry. Consultations and negotiations on various avenues of the bilateral and multilateral cooperation were held as well as seminars and conferences dedicated to common interests. “We believe that these joint steps open new opportunities for advancing our relations with the EU to a new level in comparison with the previous period, a level that will allow promoting further collaboration between Belarus and the EU on a pragmatic and mutually beneficial basis,” stressed the press secretary. Andrei Popov remarked, the initialling of the agreement between the Republic of Belarus and the Commission of the European Communities on the establishment, privileges and immunities of the representative office of the Commission of the European Communities in the Republic of Belarus was an important event of 2007. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects all intrastate procedures necessary for signing the agreement to be completed soon. “We hope that the opening of the European Commission’s representation in Minsk will create a foundation for further invigoration and expansion of our relations with the European Union in such mutually beneficial avenues as power engineering and energy effectiveness, transport and transit, environmental protection, interaction of customs and border services, scientific and technical cooperation and others,” said Andrei Popov. Belarus believes special attention should be paid to the trade and economic collaboration of Belarus and the European Union. With this in mind the Belarusian government is putting together a set of measures to improve the country’s investment and entrepreneurship climate. “We hope this year the emerging positive dynamics of relations between Belarus and the European Union in areas of mutual interests will grow into significant practical results and the removal of artificial barriers that impede the mutually beneficial cooperation,” said the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.