In his recent interview with TV station Belarus 1, Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makey commented on the current development of Belarus-Russia relations as well as the country’s economic ties with the West. Belsat.eu has picked out the most interesting moments of the talk.
Scheduled meeting of two leaders
“I think that specific decisions will be taken at this meeting, which will allow us, at least in the short term, to settle the current differences. I am sure this will be a tough, but constructive talk.”
Information attacks
A Belarus 1 reporter asked Makey about fake stories posted some Russian Telegram channels (Nezygar was not named, but she apparently had it in mind).
“In my opinion, such fakes are usually spread not by supporters of the Belarusian-Russian cooperation, but opponents. In some of their ‘works’, anti-Belarusian hysteria and a bare dislike of Belarus are clearly seen. Therefore, one should tak into account some activities of such marginal media, but I do not think they play a decisive role in the cooperation with our strategic partner,” the minister answered.
Rapprochement with Europe
According to Makey, Brussels, which has recently shown more openness, is not taking any ‘discriminatory’ measures against Belarus.
“However, there are still certain nuances associated with the political sphere. They appear when we say about the need to develop our trade and economic cooperation,” he added.
Neutral position on Ukrainian issue
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka wants the Belarusian policy not to escalate the conflict in the region, Makey stated. According to him, the country does not have any political dividends from the situation just the contrary, is is a plague for Belarus. However, Makey admitted that the neutral position of Belarus had a positive impact on the country’s image.
“If you are doing good and it is well accepted, then there is nothing to be ashamed of,” he stressed.
Belarus and WTO
According to the Foreign Minister, over the last 18 months Minsk has achieved significant progress in the negotiations on accession to the WTO. For this period, the country has signed eight protocols with different countries. The next step is negotiate with another eight states, including the US and EU member countries. However, Makey stressed that the accession is not an end in itself, one should join the organization on condition that it gains ‘real economic dividends’.
ІІ, belsat.eu
