Lukashenka: “We shouldn’t be taken by the scruff of the neck and preached at like to ugly duckling” :: Charter'97 :: News

Today Alyaksandr Lukashenka has held a press-conference and answered questions of Belarusian journalists. Traditionally highlight declarations have been made. The Belarusian leader promised not to “sell sovereignty of Belarus for oil and gas”. He has said that Belarus is dealing with Europe more than with Russia, and that “we have our interests there”, he commented on the rally on March 25 and expressed his opinion on conditions of the EU. He said that “they shouldn’t take us by the scruff of the neck and preach at us like to an ugly duckling”.

On Relations with EU

Belarusian economy which is by 55% oriented to the European Union, which “pushes it to have normal relations with the West”, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said at a press-conference in Minsk on Thursday. “Now we do more business with the EU than with Russia, we have our interests there. And our economy pushes us to have normal relations with the West,” Lukashenka stated.

However, Lukashenka underlined that he wouldn’t tolerate being ordered about. “We wouldn’t tolerate the EU offering us a list of measures which is written by our opposition. Is it a normal basis of a dialogue?” Lukashenka asked.

About sovereignty

Belarus wouldn’t sell sovereignty of the country for oil and gas, Lukashenka said at the press-conference in Minsk on Thursday.

“Belarus would never sell sovereignty of the country for the oil and gas price,” Lukashenka said. “We are building an independent and sovereign state and are not going to sell it for the oil or gas price,” the leader of the state underlined. At the same time, he underlined that “we are dependant in many things now. But nobody, even opposition mass media, as far as I know after looking them through, no longer write that `Lukashenka is a traitor, surrenders our country`s sovereignty and independence.` No one writes this anymore. And I have always said that Belarus will never be a province of the Russian Federation or any other country”.

He underlined that he is not going to “kneel down” or “to bring to their knees the Belarusian nation”. “Belarus has preserved its existence facing blows from East and West,” the Belarusian leader said.

“We’ll do without Russia”
Alyaksandr Lukashenka is positive that Belarusian manufacturers of agricultural products would do without Russian market for sales of products.

“We shall do without this market as far as milk and meat are concerned,” he said at the press-conference in Minsk on Thursday. “What are you afraid of, our selling you 300,000 tons of sugar? But you buy 3 million tons. Pout of more than a million tons of meat produced by us, we sell 130,000 tons to the Russian Federation, it is one tenth part. We sell milk power to Germany and Belgium,” he said.

A. Lukashenka has also expresses misunderstanding over holding Russian inspections in Belarusian meat processing enterprises. “They are sending their inspectors to check whether we have good quality and cleanness here. Look at Russia and compare where the situation is batter,” A. Lukashenka said.

However, Belarus hasn’t completely given up the idea of introducing Russian ruble as a single currency of the “union”. “It could be a Russian ruble, we’ll see,” A. Lukashenka said. He underlined that “we should start with the basement, and not from the roof; roof would not have anything to repose on”.

In the present situation transition to a Russian ruble would be a loss of sovereignty, Lukashenka said. “Our country would never be a marionette state, we won’t tolerate to solve internal problems of another state on our expense,” A. Lukashenka said.

About oil and gas again

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has stated that the economy of the county has survived price hike of Russian hydrocarbon reserves.

“We have had all that in view, we knew that such a blow on the economy would take place,” the leader of the state said.

A. Lukashenka said that: “We have pre-calculated everything on financial market, including issues of industry growth, agriculture”. “The blow has been made on deliveries of hydrocarbons, and we knew that to the last dollar, ands we knew what we would have to pay for oil and gas,” the president said.

“I have been expecting the results of the first quarter of the year, when I banned government in interfere with economic processes actively,” A. Lukashenka noted. Then he admitted that “he had been distressed for the processes in bank sphere”. “I should say sincerely, there hasn’t been such a collapse, when people rush to withdraw deposits. But there were enough people who went to banks to withdraw their money,” A. Lukashenka said.

In this connection, the president said, “We had to use about one third of gold and currency reserves to satisfy the demand of population”.

About rally on March 25

Alyaksandr Lukashenka ahs touched upon the actions of the regime during opposition rally on March 25 and estimation of these actions by the West. “It’s true that Freedom Day was carried out alright, but they still they have been dissatisfied with something. But look what’s happening there [in the West], who street rallies are disbanded there. A. Lukashenka underlined that he wouldn’t let “militants of opposition” to cause problems in the streets. He underlined that Belarus shouldn’t be taken by the scruff of the neck and preached at like an ugly duckling”. As said by him. Confrontation is extremely disadvantageous for Europe. “Huge turnover of Russia and Europe is carried out through Belarus”.

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