Belarus' Justice Minister: Common mediation institute may be set up in EEU

MOSCOW (BelTA) – A common mediation institute may be set up in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) in the future, Belarus' Justice Minister Oleg Slizhevsky told journalists, BelTA has learned.

The business and cultural complex of the Embassy of Belarus in Moscow is hosting a conference on mediation in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union on 15 to 16 October.

Oleg Slizhevsky believes the countries of the EEU should develop their national mediation centers first. The minister noted that mediation is quite a new practice for Belarus. The law on mediation was passed in Belarus in 2013 and came into force on 1 January 2014. “Over the past year and a half, as many as 202 mediation licenses have been issued in Belarus,” Oleg Slizhevsky pointed out.

He is convinced that the institute of mediation should be supported and promoted in every way. “Mediation helps find points of contact, reach compromise, and arrive at a win-win solution,” Oleg Slizhevsky stressed.

Mediation is one of the methods of settling disputes with the support of a third impartial and independent party that has special knowledge and skills. It helps settle disputes taking into account everyone's interests and reach a compromise that satisfies all parties.