Andrei Sannikov: “Bush Statements Demonstrate Support to Belarus’ Independence and European Future” :: Charter'97 :: News

On November 28 in Riga where the NATO summit was held, US President George Bush had a meeting with the leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich, the international coordinator of the Charter’97, former deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Andrei Sannikov and a former political prisoner Mikhail Marynich. At the meeting US President harshly condemned Belarusian dictatorship, saying that America’s vision of an integral, free and peaceful Europe includes Belarus. “For me the most important thing in the meeting with George Bush was his words that the US’ vision of an integral, free and peaceful Europe includes Belarus. It is a strategic statement which demonstrates the support to the European future of Belarus,” Andrei Sannikov stated in an interview to the Charter’97 press-center.

- Mr. Sannikov, who has taken part in the conference “The NATO transformation under new globalisation conditions” held in the framework of the NATO summit in Riga?

- Acting and former leaders of states, including Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, the US, Germany, Ukraine, Georgia and other countries, as well as representatives of the leading analytic centres and world mass media have taken part in the conference. Except me, other representatives of Belarus at the conference were the leader of the democratic forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich, a former political prisoner, an Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Belarus Mikhail Marynich, the leader of the civil initiative “We Remember” Iryna Krasouskaya.

The organizers of the conference were JMF and the LATO (the Latvian Transatlantic Organization).

- Has the topic of Belarus been discussed at the conference?

- Though the Belarusian topic was not on the agenda of the conference, as the NATO and Belarus have “castrated” relations now, and they are much worse than with any other Belarus’ neighbours including Russia, the Belarusian issue has been brought up in many speeches at the conference. Not only issues of the NATO were considered, but also issues of energy security, economic relations, future security systems in Europe and worldwide. It is a wide range of questions.

The Belarusian issue has been brought up as an unsafe situation for Europe, which can cause unpredictable results. Today the nature of the Belarusian regime is evident for everyone, and even President Bush in his address noted that “peaceful rallies are disbanded in Belarus, opposition leaders go missing”. Everybody understood that Putin with the held of Lukashenka organized the CIS summit as a counterbalance to the NATO summit, though haven’t entirely understood what his aims were.

Undoubtedly, except condemning the regime, words of support and solidarity with Belarusian people were heard; a new proposal of the European Union to the Belarusian authorities was discussed. The Europeans were perplexed why such serious proposals are met with an old-school propagandistic reaction of the Belarusian regime.

As one of the topics of the conference was Ukraine and Georgia’s possible membership in the NATO, it is natural that other former USSR members were mentioned, including the Belarusian regime and its relations with the NATO. It was said that these relations under Lukashenka have always been developed under the Kremlin’s influence, which shows that tan independent policy of the Belarusian regime does not exist.

A speech by George Bush in the Latvian University was undeniably very impressive. The organizers of the conference places the Belarusians in the first row, that is why we could follow his address attentively and also meet him personally after the speech.

For me the most important thing in the meeting with George Bush was his words that the US’ vision of an integral, free and peaceful Europe includes Belarus. It is a strategic statement which demonstrates the support to independence and the European future of Belarus.

- Whom have you met during the conference?

- We had lots of meetings with participants of the conference and of the summit. In particular, we met Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Foreign Minister of Latvia Artis Pabriks, Georgian parliament Soeaker Nino Burjanadze, a well-known political analyst, a former advisor of the US President Zbigniew Brzezinski, and other participants.

- What issues were discussed at the meetings?

- The situation in Belarus was discusses during all meetings. The situation of the former presidential candidate, a political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin, who continues the hunger strike in prison for more than a month. Our interlocutors, heads of states, MPs, public leaders and famous journalists, promised to exert all efforts to save Alyaksandr Kazulin. All of them understand that that only Belarusian authorities would be responsible for his possible death in prison.

Mikhail Marynich was especially welcomed by many in Riga. Many people said that they recognized him thanks to T-shirts with his portrait many had been wearing in his support when the political prisoner stayed jailed.

Georgian parliament’s Speaker Nino Burjanadze, the leader of the Belarusian opposition Alyaksandr Milinkevich and a former political prisoner Mikhail Marynich

US President George Bush, Georgian parliament’s Speaker Nino Burjanadze and the leader of the Belarusian opposition Alyaksandr Milinkevich

Alyaksandr Milinkevich and a prominent political analyst, former Advisor of the US President, Zbigniew Brzezinski

US President George Bush and Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga