TT: Eastern Europe: Between Russia and the EU (1) : Belarus, a dictatorship with traditionally close ties to Russia

Welcome back. Today sees the launch of the European Union's Eastern Partnership, whose stated aim is to improve stability in six former Soviet-bloc countries by promoting democratic and free-market reforms in return for trade and travel privileges. Another motivation is guaranteeing the stability of energy supplies from the east. Russia's no fan of the scheme -- it's accusing the EU of trying to build a sphere of influence around its frontiers. +++LMREIN+++ We visited Brest, which lies just East of Poland in Belarus, a dictatorship with traditionally close ties to Russia, yet on the cusp of the EU: