The Eastern Partnership is an EU attempt to expand its “sphere of influence” in the quest for hydrocarbons, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said, in Moscow’s first major broadside against the new policy.

“We are accused of having spheres of influence. But what is the Eastern Partnership, if not an attempt to extend the EU’s sphere of influence, including to Belarus,” the minister said on Saturday (21 March) at the Brussels Forum, a high-level symposium.

He added that the Czech EU presidency and the European Commission are putting undue pressure on Belarus by suggesting it might be marginalised if it follows Russia in recognising the independence of Georgian breakaway regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

“Is this promoting democracy or is it blackmail? It’s about pulling countries from the positions they want to take as sovereign states,” Mr Lavrov said.

The EU on Friday formally launched the Eastern Partnership, a €600 million policy to forge closer political and trade links with six former Soviet countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Azerbaijan and Georgia are important for the EU’s pursuit of alternative gas and oil import routes from the Caspian Sea region. Belarus also hosts a major gas pipeline system.

The invitation of Belarus leader Lukashenko to an Eastern Partnership launch summit in May and the pace of EU-Belarus rapprochement in the partnership process continue to hang in the balance, however. Czech foreign minister Karl Schwarzenberg in February said it would be “difficult” to make progress if Minsk takes the Russian line on Georgia.