AKIPRESS.COM - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko deemed it necessary to continue work on the full normalization of relations with the European Union, APA reported.

The Belarusian leader demanded to continue the line to the full normalization of relations and deepening of cooperation with the EU in the context of national interests of Belarus.

"The EU's decision in February 2016 on the abolition of most sanctions against Belarus opens new opportunities for the development of our cooperation," Lukashenko said at a conference on Belarus-EU relations.

But he added that Minsk did not accept the choice between the West and Russia it was asked to make by either EU or the United States.

"We do not accept such a negotiation criterion. This is the worst choice we can face," he said.

There are lots of opportunities to develop pragmatic relations between Belarus and Europe, including by means of advanced technologies and cheaper money, Lukashenko said.