Nezavisinaya Gazeta: Lukashenka has to pay for union :: Charter'97 :: News

Lukashenka likes to speculate on the necessity of foundation of a union state with Russia. Though practically he does nothing in this respect. Since the beginning of this year the issue has been cleared up. Belarus will buy gas at the lowest price in comparison with the Russian gas prices for other neighboring countries (USD100 per 1000 cubic meter). But for this it is due to transfer 50 % share of the “Beltransgaz” company to Gazprom during 4 years. With regard of 100% of the Belarusian part of the Yamal –Europe gas pipeline belonging to Gazprom it means that the Russian- Belarusian partnership in the gas sphere will remain despite of the personality of head of the Belarusian state, reports the Nezavisinaya Gazeta today.

In the oil sphere Belarus will sooner or later have to start privatization (selling to Russian companies) of its oil refineries. Previously no export duties were imposed on the oil delivered to Belarusian oil refineries resulting in huge profits for the Belarusian authorities from selling the produced oil products. Since this year the export duty has been imposed (though lower than for the other non-union states);”and income distributed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka will decrease. It is obvious that sooner or later he will have to give in and agree with privatization of oil refineries”; there is no other way out.

The Russian authorities are giving a clear message to the Belarusian leader that they consider the union state primarily in terms of economic integration and not of political declarations on friendship and good neighborhood, the Nezavisinaya Gazeta writes.

According to the newspaper, the USA and other western countries stand Lukashenka’s regime only because it is supported by Russia. In other case he would have been deprived of power long ago either peacefully through another colored revolution or through a military coup or direct aggression.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta also mentions that as soon as Russia sent a message that it was not going to fight for Slobodan Miloshevich, the NATO bombers intensively attacked Serbia.