Milinkevich on relations with Russia :: Charter'97 :: News

Aleksandr Milinkevich, leader of Belarus` united opposition forces, told the Ekho Moskvy radio station on Monday that his coalition would be able to "build better and more truthful, predictable and mutually beneficial" relations with Russia if it defeats Aleksandr Lukashenko in the March presidential election.

"Russia is a strategic partner for us and the European Union. Most people in Belarus want to live in their independent country. Many Russians perceive integration as a merger of the two countries into one. This idea is not popular in Belarus. For most Belarusians integration means economic cooperation," he said, and stressed that it is impossible to buy friendship with cheap gas. "Although we are very grateful to Russia for helping us in the difficult transition reform period, but it will have to raise the gas price regardless of who is the president. Russia wants to join the WTO [World Trade Organization] and this is a condition for entry. But Belarus` problem is that our economy is not ready to buy energy resources at market prices." He pointed out that the country should work hard to prepare its industries and agriculture for the imminent price hike.

Asked about prospects of the Union State in the event of his victory, Mr. Milinkevich said, "None of our politicians, myself including, can understand what kind of a union we are building. I think we have found ourselves in a maze. We have been building the Union State for ten years, but it turned into a myth. If we seek to build something while the whole world is integrating, we should start with building a solid economic foundation. We should start with pragmatic things. All that has been done for the Union State so far could have been done with through bilateral agreements."

Mr. Milinkevich stressed that he is a pro-Belarusian politician, not pro-Western or pro-Polish one.