On 12 February, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Mr. Vladimir MAKEI requested Observer status with the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA).

Pursuant to article 2.3 of the Committee of Ministers Resolution CM/Res(2013)66 confirming the establishment of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes, the Governing Board granted this status to Belarus for a period of one year, starting 1 March 2020.

The EPA counts today 33 Member States, 1 Observer State and 38 certified Cultural Routes.

At present, there are 2 Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe with network members in the Country: the European Route of Jewish Heritage and VIA REGIA. Belarus offers great potential for the development of many other certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.

The Republic of Belarus ratified Council of Europe’s European Cultural Convention in 1993.

On 20 September 2019, the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Programme was presented in Minsk at the Conference “Conclusion, Observance and Interpretation of International Treaties” by Mr. Stefano DOMINIONI, Executive Secretary of the EPA and Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes.