Lukashenka denies accusations of back-door dealings in foodstuffs delivery from Belarus to Russia

03.12.201411:28

The Belarusian president accuses Russia of unfairness and violations of agreements of the Customs Union.

“We have been strongly against dishonest practices with Western food deliveries to the Russian market. Someone thought they could replace labels and sell these products in Russia. We will not allow this. But we will process the products we want on the territory of Belarus,” Lukashenka said at the session held on 3 December to discuss the measures taken to remove the ban on the import of Belarusian products to the Russian Federation and the transit of sanctioned goods.

“The day before the Russian government made the corresponding decision [imposing sanctions on the EU – Belsat], Russian President Vladimir Putin had called me and informed me about this. The conversation was long, and, of course, I was surprised by this move. Nevertheless I told the President that it was up to the Russian Federation to decide. Although our arrangements in the Customs Union provide that the sides must be forewarned about such sanctions and must harmonize such steps, neither Belarus nor Kazakhstan opposed this decision of Russia,” state-owned news agency BelTA quotes Lukashenka as saying.

According to Aliaksandr Lukashenka, in the phone conversation with Vladimir Putin he pledged that Belarus would fulfill its obligations on the external border of the Customs Union to prevent the import of sanctioned goods to Russia.

“But I also warned the President that Belarusian companies which had concluded or would conclude agreements on the delivery of products to Belarus with Western partners would continue implementing these agreements. It means that we would not join Russia’s sanctions (and Russia did not demand it) and continue to work in the same mode. For example, if we imported meat, milk, vegetables, fruit and fish, processed them on the territory of Belarus and then sold these products in the Eurasian space, including in the Customs Union, we would continue to do so. The Russian President said that he did not mind it,” the Belarusian leader said.

The head of state stressed that Belarus was told to use its customs, border and other services to prevent direct import of sanctioned goods to Russia. “No one said that the transit of commodities to Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and other countries via Belarus must be stopped,” he added.