First Georgian warning :: Charter'97 :: News

Within the last two weeks the meaning of the Belarusian powers’ motions regarding the possible imposing of the visa regime with Georgia has not still been elucidated. A formal reason that has provoked a storm of emotions - a flow of the undesirable for Moscow Georgians who use Belarus as a channel of penetration into Russia, - has not disappeared, but the storm subsided and still there is a matter to be pondered over. A “BDG” correspondent is talking to initiator of Georgia’s reply - announcing Aliaxandar Lukashenka persona non grata - Deputy of the Georgian Parliament Konstantin Gabashvili:

- You have introduced in the Georgian Parliament a project of debarring Lukashenka from arriving to Georgia in the reply to the Belarusian leader’s decision of imposing the visa regime. Don’t you think the decision (as well as its abolition) was too prompt?

- There was nothing prompt or thoughtless in our actions. This was a reaction to the official statement of imposing the visa regime with Georgia. We don’t learn such news every day. Our reply was immediate also because of the offence inflicted by the absolutely incomprehensible and headstrong decision made by the Belarusian leadership. However, we did not vote, which was reasonable, the day I came out with this initiative. Although we did not expect Belarus to go back on its word at once. If they are not going to impose the visa regime - we will not undertake anything. If they change their mind once again - we will raise this question in a more rigid form. I can promise.

- How would you estimate the present level of Belarusian-Georgian relationship?

- Formally we are the members of one organization - the CIS. But the Georgian leadership does not understand our colleagues from Belarus who hinder their country from developing in the democratic way chosen by the majority countries of the world. The unicity of the present situation in Belarus reminds me of the 40-50s years of the last century.

Democracy - is the state of the people’s spirit. It will finally triumph; the Belarusians cannot live forever in the non-democratic conditions. I ask you and your readers to trust me that democracy is very close, democracy is inside you.