09.09.2021, Minsk.
The West is afraid that Russia and Belarus joining within the frames of the Union State will cause strengthening of the two countries, the Deputy of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Oleg Gaidukevich said, as BelTA reports on September 8.
“There is a fear that Belarus and Russia will be strong. The formula is simple: an alliance with Russia strengthens the sovereignty and statehood of Belarus and strengthens the Russian Federation,” said the politician on air of the ONT TV channel.
The deputy of the lower chamber of the Belarusian parliament criticized the statements of politicians saying that the Russian-Belarusian Union threatens the sovereignty of Belarus. In reality all their efforts are aimed at destroying Belarusian independence to the benefit of the West.
“They want sanctions to be imposed against the country so that we leave the Union and fall under external control of the West, like Ukraine and the Baltic States,” said Gaidukevich.
The Deputy noted that, for example, Lithuania and Ukraine, which are supposedly sovereign, in fact, are deprived of the opportunity to make independent decisions. The West is not afraid of losing Belarusian sovereignty, but of strengthening Belarus and Russia within the Union State, said the deputy.
Background
The Treaty on the Union State between Russia and Belarus was signed on April 2, 1997. The leader of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko actively promoted the deal. The parties planned to unify the legal basis, power structures, and the currency and market.
The integration process began to slow down because of political and economic disagreements. In particular, the president of Belarus has repeatedly claimed the risk of losing state sovereignty, allegedly under pressure from Russia. He also accuses Moscow of unwillingness to abolish customs duties.
Another important topic in the bilateral relations between Russia and Belarus is the sale of Russian oil and gas at preferential prices. At the same time, the stability of the political system of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko largely depends on the subsidies, which are put on the price of Russian hydrocarbons.
In recent years, Lukashenko’s political rhetoric has also sharpened, and he is ready to talk about the Great Patriotic War as an “alien” war for Belarus. On the one hand, the Belarusian leader declares brotherly relations with Moscow and unity of the people, but on the other hand, the polemics about the Union Treaty and oil and gas prices become more and more heated. Both vectors of behavior are aimed at prolonging Lukashenka’s own power, including through the maintenance of economic stability at the expense of Russian discounts.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
