Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, had warned Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko against recognizing breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Reuters reported quoting unnamed European Commission official.

Solana met with Lukashenko in Minsk on February 19.

The European Commission official also said it was a condition Lukashenko had to meet before being invited to meet European Union leaders in May, Reuters reported.

EU plans to hold the first Eastern Partnership summit, involving Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on May 7. 

The Eastern Partnership, which targets Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, aims at upgrading EU’s political engagement with these countries in number of areas, including the prospect for association agreements, integration into the EU economy and easier travel to the EU.