Vital Rymasheuski: Dictator clutches at a straw

Lukashenka has lobbyists in Vatican, a politician thinks.

Vital Rymasheuski, a co-chairman of the organising committee to form the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, spoke to charter97.org about thanks of the Belarusian dictator to Vatican for helping resume ties with the European Union.

“The Catholic Church is a large institution that unites billions of religious people. It unites different people. Like among EU politicians, you can find there the people ready to lobby the interests of the Belarusian regime. However, statements that entire Vatican supports Lukashenka and lobbies his interests are not true, to say the least. We cannot say that if Paleckis made such a report on Belarus, the entire European Parliament supports the Belarusian ruler,” the politician is confident.

He underlines Vatican in principle cannot openly promote interests of the authoritarian regime in Belarus and in the world.

“The meeting of the previous Pope with the Belarusian dictator was a big mistake that can be repeated. I think the regime has ties with certain Vatican officials, who give promises personally to Lukashenka. This curtsey was made in conditions of lack of political allies in the international arena. The ruler clutches at any straw and demonstrates wishful thinking, I mean he presents the position of these particular representatives of Vatican as a stance of the whole Catholic Church,” Vital Rymasheuski says.

Lukashenka today thanked Vatican for the assistance in restoring ties with the EU and invited the new Pope to Belarus at a meeting with Apostolic Nuncio Claudio Gugerotti in Minsk.