Milinkevich proposed a plan of cooperation between Europe and Belarus

At a high-level International conference on the European Neighbourhood Policy, Aleksandr Milinkevich addressed the participants with an initiative to elaborate a step by step strategy aiming at improving the cooperation between Belarus and the European Union.

The conference “Community approach to the neighbours” related to the EU Nieghbourhood Policy, gathered in a Polish town Natolin over a hundred of high level diplomats, government representatives, parliamentarians from the EU and the EU neighbouring countries, as well as scientists from leading research centres from Berlin, Paris, London, Sofia, Prague and Warsaw. Aleksandr Milinkevich in his presentation in the course of the conference talked about the current state of relations between the Republic of Belarus and the European Union, Russia and the USA.

The Belarusian politician stressed that the relations between Belarus and Russia have changed significantly recently. Starting from 2006 Russia has been increasing the gas price for Belarus reaching the ‘world’ level and providing Belarus with credits instead. This lead to a rapid growth of what Belarus owed to Moscow. “Financial dependence from Russia may soon lead to the political dependence and the lost of the Belarusian sovereignty”, said Aleksandr Milinkevich

The leader of the movement “For Freedom!” called upon the representatives of the European countries not to introduce economic sanctions against Belarus.  

A. Milinkevich: In case the European Union follows the example of the United States and introduces harsh economic sanctions, the government in Belarus might change as a result of a serious economic crisis. However in this case we may lose our independence as Russia would immediately try to benefit from this situation.

When I am fighting for changes in my country and advise our neighbours on how to construct relations with Belarus, I think first of all about the development of our country and increasing the level of freedom in it. However one should not forget that while fighting against a dictatorship, a country might be destroyed. A policy regarding Belarus requires better rationing.

Aleksandr Milinkevich proposed the European Union Member States to improve cooperation with Belarus. A politician believes that the cooperation should develop in two dimensions: firstly, improving contacts with the civil society, secondly, improving cooperation with the state authorities on the condition of the fulfillment by the latter of concrete conditions.

Aleksandr Milinkevich proposed to experts from the European Union to elaborate a step by step strategy, a so called a “road map”, in order to improve contacts with the Belarusian authorities. Concrete little steps from the side of Lukashenko should be followed by the concrete little steps from the side of the European Union. Some Belarusian politicians think that it would only be the Head of State who would benefit from such cooperation and they call this tactics a ‘betrayal to the ideals’. However Aleksandr Milinkevich has another point of view. He called his proposal ‘moral’ and ‘realistic’.

A. Milinkevich: When one talks about the fates of imprisoned people I am ready to pay the highest price for they could find themselves free. The price could be supporting te reforms of the Belarusian economy that the Belarusian authorities obviously need, however first of all the Belarusian people living in Belarus need them too. I never supported the idea that ‘the worst is the better’. One may destruct the regime via destructing the economy. However what happens further? Who benefits from it? People would benefit nothing from it. Only Russia could benefit from it and would have more opportunities to impose its protectorate over Belarus. Noone is willing to give money for the regime to sponsor the power enforcing structures. Funds would be targeted and would be used on those reforms that the people need.

A “road map” of improving contacts with Belarus should be based on the 12 conditions for democratization, proposed by the European Union earlier, thinks the leader of the movement “For Freedom!”

A. Milinkevich: There were 12 conditions. In case the authorities implemented all of them they would have to resign. It is understood that that is not what they want. The 12 conditions were a ‘moral’ proposal however, unfortunately, impossible to implement. Therefore some conditions should be picked from the list, then others and thus, step by step, they might be implemented. All these steps should be described in the “road map”. I believe the Belarusian authorities are interested in improving the economy however they have no trust to the West and they think that the West wants to deceive them. Therefore little steps should be madebto ensure that the both sides fulfill their responsibilities. I am sure that the Belarusian people would benefit from it and that is the main point.

Mr. Aleksandr Milinkevich thinks that the cooperation could be started after the political prisoners are released. The next move from the side of the European Union could be the lift of the ban on travel of the Belarusian officials.

The Russian press called the increased interest by the European Countries in Belarus ‘an attempt to take Belarus out of the hands of Moscow”. Mariush Mashkevich, the Director of the Department for Eastern Policy of the Polish Foreign Ministry, called this way of thinking a ‘serious mistake’.

M. Mashkevich: Indeed, our goal is neither to fight Lukashenko nor, more over, to increase the national tension in Belarus. We would like the Belarusian society to get closer to Europe, so that the political and economic reforms were taking place there. The example of Belarus and Ukraine shows that co-existence of various cultures should not lead to a conflict. Encouraging hatred is the worst damage which should be avoided.

An expert of the Polish Centre for Eastern Research, Marcin Kaczmarski, believes that the initiative of Aleksandr Milinkevich has chances for success. However all sides should be apprehended and it would not lead to the ‘fast’ democracy in Belarus.

M. Kaczmarski: The European Union may propose certain economic benefits to Belarus. I believe that the authorities would be eager to benefit from these proposals due to the fact that the Belarusian economy needs to go through a process of reforms sooner or later. The European concerns are interested in entering the new market. The EU authorities could facilitate that.

One should not rely on that Lukashenko after benefiting from the proposals of the European Union gave away his power. Quite the reverse, he would use the new economic benefits in order to remain at power for a longer period of time to use the EU assistance to overcome the upcoming economic crisis. A step by step strategy would not bring changes of the authority in Belarus it may only soften the regime.

One should only wait until the power is changed by the civil movement or until the governing elite decides that it would be more beneficial to cooperate with the European Union and therefore would initiate the democratization of the system.

So far the step by step strategy of construction of relations between the European Union and Belarus remains only an interesting idea. In order that the initiative announced by Mr. Milinkevich grew into a concrete project, there should be the will of the European Union Member States as well as, naturally, the will of the Belarusian authorities.