Why Navumau Goes to US? :: Charter'97 :: News

Belarusian Interior Minister Uladzimir Navumau (Naumov) is to visit the US. It is still unknown why the minister who had been denied entry to many countries as a suspect in abductions and assassinations of opposition leaders and a journalist, visits the US. The Interior Ministry press service does not comment on that fact. The “Ezhednevnik” has asked experts about possible reason of Navumau’s visit to the US.

Usevalad Yancheuski, First deputy director of Informational-Analytic center of Presidential Administration:

“As far as I have understood, Navumau goes there on hockey affairs, and it is a positive fact. I think that in due course all misunderstanding between Belarus and the US would be ironed out. Fundamentally, there is no intersection between the interests of out countries. Belarus is a calm country. No terrorism threat is posed by us. We do not menace any country. We work peacefully, and trade peacefully. By the way, it is the only thing Belarus needs from the rest of the world, to be given a possibility to work, to sell our goods, to be granted equal conditions for business competition. More than 10 years have passed, and it is enough time for American politicians to see for themselves that Belarus was, is and will be a stable and untroubled country, that nothing would be possible to change here. They needed a lot of time to get the message, but it seems to me that they have finally realized that they shouldn’t stage any revolutions in Belarus, as it would reflect dishonour upon America. It states that it would bring democracy, and ultimately but nothing comes of it. It is not creditable for such a great country as the US. They have understood that and from now on they would gradually establish good relations with us. Navumau’s going to the US is great. It is remarkable. I think in the near future, in the next few months, peaceful and normal relations would be established between Belarus and the West.

Svyatlana Zavadskaya, a wife of the abducted ORT cameraman Dzmitry Zavadski:

- It is strange. As far as I know, this person had been blacklisted. Until very recently… It’s hard to understand these political games for me. Why are they first deciding he is a non grata person, that he is a suspect, and then issue a visa for him? I hope it is misunderstanding. I want to hope for that. I know that the American side was quite decided about the abductions and these people: Navumau, Sivakou, Paulichenka. And I do not really understand why he flies there. But maybe he goes there at the invitation of the UN, then I could understand that.

Yaraslau Ramanchuk, a deputy chairman of the United Civil Party:

- I think that if Americans issued a visa to him, possibly talks on compromise between the Belarusian regime and the Western world, namely Americans, are expected. As oppositionists are to be there at the same time, it is possible the Americans ant to listen to the both positions, to form a standing on the events. I wouldn’t regard that as a unconditional surrender of the western world after Lukashenka’s declarations. However this fact shows that the West is ready to consider constructive proposals of Belarus. it is a positive fact, and we shouldn’t interpret it negatively.