Diplomats say the European Union has temporarily lifted a travel ban on authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Allowing Lukashenko and other top Belarusian officials to travel to the EU is part of warming relations with the isolated country.

Two diplomats from EU nations familiar with the decision say the EU is rewarding the country viewed as the last European dictatorship for its initial steps on the path to reform.

The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

LUXEMBOURG (AP) _ The European Union held its first high-level talks in four years with internationally isolated Belarus on Monday, hoping to boost democratic progress in a nation still viewed by many as the continent’s last dictatorship.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said her meeting Monday with Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov could be seen as a reward after Belarus freed political prisoners.

“We have to show that progress in being rewarded,” she said. “For them to do something, we also have to do something.”

Meanwhile, the EU’s 27 foreign ministers were considering whether to lift a travel ban against top officials of President Alexander Lukashenko’s authoritarian regime.

Ferrero-Waldner said she wanted to limit the ban to target only those directly implicated in human rights violations and disappearances in Belarus.

The EU imposed sanctions on Lukashenko and top Belarus officials after several crackdowns against the Belarusian opposition.

But Lukashenko, who has ruled the nation of 10 million people with an iron fist since 1994, has recently signaled his intention to improve ties with the West at a time when he is arguing with Russia over energy prices.

EU-member Finland holds the chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and in that capacity, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb has been calling for better cooperation.

“Things are improving, but they are far, far, far from perfect,” Stubb said.

He said, however, that it was too early to consider lifting the assets freeze imposed on a number of top Belarus officials, including Lukashenko.

Belarusian authorities recently released detained opposition figures after Western governments demanded they be freed. Belarus’ government also allowed opposition candidates to take part in Sept. 28 parliamentary elections, though none of the 70 opposition candidates won places in the 110-seat parliament and European observers said the elections fell short of international standards.

“They need to fulfill standards of democracy, they need to remove the death penalty, they need to focus on human rights, and let’s get going from an empty page from that,” Stubb said.