Anatol Liabedzka: How about duties on oil products?

A politician was surprised to hear that the issue of Belarus's export of oil products to Ukraine was not discussed in Kyiv.

Anatol Liabedzka, the chair of the United Civil Party (UCP), spoke to charter97.org about the ratification of the border treaty between Belarus and Ukraine 16 years after the document was signed.

“The issue of the border has a long history. We have to admit that putting a period to this case is a step forward. But I wouldn't say that it means strong strategic partnership. As I already said, Lukashenka and Yanukovych are rivals in the struggle for freebies from Russia. The Kremlin is interested in engaging Yanukovych into the 'union'. Moscow thinks the Belarusian ruler is so deeply involved in the process that he has no ways out. Ukraine is drifting to Europe to some extent, but at the same time it tends to cooperate with Russia,” the politician believes.

He thinks we don't have all information, because receiving the debt, which is most likely to be paid in kind, was not the only important issue for the Belarusian authorities.

“The situation of oil products duties remains uncertain and unclear. This is the problem for local refineries, because Belarus exported oil products at dumping prices. It's worth noting that the strategic union of Kyiv and Minsk against Moscow is impossible in spite of Russian-Belarusian or Russian-Ukrainian wars. Lukashenka doesn't invite Ukraine to the Customs Union, because he doesn't play the first fiddle in this 'customs ensemble'. If any proposals are made, they will be made by Putin. Lukashenka can only diplomatically nod to the Kremlin,” the UCP leader said.

The politician added that the EaP summit in Vilnius in November would be a turning point for Kyiv.

“If a decision on Ukraine-EU association agreement is taken, it will mean that the European vector will win. Of course, the country that sets a task to join the EU mustn't have problems with the border. This issues can be regarded as a far-seeing step in the direction of Brussels. As for political leadership, they want to have dividends, first of all economic ones, from both sides. What concerns society, Ukraine has strong pro-Europe moods that cannot be ignored even by Yanukovych's team with their peculiarities and pro-Kremlin rhetoric,” Anatol Liabedzka said.