Varanetsky scared Russia :: Charter'97 :: News

The Russian mass media extremely negatively responded to the message that the deputy foreign minister of Belarus participated in the international conference “Working together on facilitation of the European neighborhood policy” in Brussels.

Thus, the Russian “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” writes that “Minsk is trying to improve its relations with Europe. Recently it has behaved as the victim of the energy dictatorship of Moscow. The European Commission is looking for methods of restricting access of the Russian companies to its energy market. Such threats on the part of Russia are imaginary, supposed .De facto, the Russian companies are very responsible as far as their commitments are concerned. They are hardly to be accused of inconsistency evoking risks for the European consumers. And now it is deputy foreign minister of Belarus Varanetsky who is ready to come and help the European Commission . As an expressive example of the Russian perfidy victim Minsk has started selling itself to Europe hoping for relaxation of sanctions. The fact of granting visa to the Belarus top-rank foreign ministry official evidences improvement of the issue”.

According to the periodical “the behavior of Belarus towards Russia looks thankless and naughty. In 2007 Russia gives factual USD 5.8 subsidies to Belarus for gas and oil payments. And may anyone be dissatisfied with us after receiving the money? Furthermore, Minsk didn’t make any step forward to integration with Russia previously when it received the resources even at more beneficial prices. It sharply refused to introduce the common currency. So, putting it differently, Lukashenka has been strengthening his regime to his liking for the Russian money.”

“It is necessary to put an end to this vicious practice of political pricing for energy resources, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta continues. It is not transparent and does not serve the Russia’s interests. We can’t afford losing the budget proceeds resulting from such too low pricing. It is necessary to adopt the bill administering the state-owned companies to export the raw materials and goods at the world accepted prices. The resolution on subsidies is to be taken by the State Duma within the framework of rendering assistance to foreign states. In this case the conditions of assistance rendering will be definitely prescribed. If you want to get USD 5.8 billion for subsidizing the expenses of your population, be so kind as to do this and that”.

The news story ends with the following:

“You say “dictatorship”, don’t you? And whoever in the world will give billions of dollars to anyone for nothing? Without pursuing the national strategic interest? The restriction of sovereignty? Certainly, yes. Only what kind of sovereignty can be spoken of USD 5.8 billion subsidies amounts to 41% of the Belarusian state budget? This mechanism is to become the real tool for real integration. In several years Minsk will either put its strategy in conformity with the Russian one or not. But then it will mean another history of Belarus”.