Andrei Sannikov: Russian ambassador forgot that he is in independent Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

”Ambassador Surikov is likely to have forgotten that he is not somewhere in the Altai region but in the independent Belarus. Such declarations are, firstly, not typical of diplomats and, secondly, they may be considered as encroachment upon the state sovereignty”, the former deputy foreign minister of Belarus international coordinator of the Charter’97 Andrei Sannikov declared commenting on the scandalous declaration of the Russian ambassador to Belarus Aleksandr Surikov about a might-be deployment of the Russian nuclear military objects in Belarus.

In 1991-1994 Andrei Sannikov participated in the talks on the nuclear disarmament of Belarus. According to him, the Russian ambassador hardly might have made such a declaration without the Russian authorities sanctions, thus, such declarations must be treated seriously. “Up to reconsideration of the Russian military objects status on the territory of Belarus”, Sannikov considers.

“Once Belarus made a considerable contribution to strengthening of the international security taking the responsibilities both on conventional and nuclear weapons and that fact may be taken as the basis for further strengthening of our security. It becomes evident that the security may be guaranteed only in the European context, to be more particular, in the Euroatlantic one. Russia has once again proved its being the source of security reduction, both energetic and military, for the independent state”, stresses Andrei Sannikov.

Meanwhile, the international coordinator of the Charter’97 remarks that within the framework of the European Union such issues remain the prerogative of every independent state. And in the absence of the consent of the state and the general consent of the European Union the scenario of the military base deployment on the territory of the EU member- states may not be implemented.

“Turning down the possible deployment of the nuclear weapons on its territory in the early nineties Belarus made not only the considerable contribution to the international peace strengthening but also withdrew itself from the context of the probable confrontation of the nuclear states ,Russia and the USA .Now according to the highest representative of Russia in Belarus Ambassador Surikov, the involvement of our country into the possible confrontation and arms race has been announced probable”, the diplomat considers.