Belarus is anxious that a European Union initiative to strengthen ties with six ex-Soviet states should not turn into a contest between Russia and the EU for "spheres of influence" in eastern Europe, according to Sergei Martynov, Belarus's foreign minister.

"We are not going to make a choice between the EU and Russia. We are not going to develop relations with one at the expense of relations with the other," Mr Martynov said in an interview with the Financial Times. "In our view, competition for spheres of influence is a totally wrong prism to look at things through."