Leanid Zlotnikau: Recently Russia wanted more from Belarus

Because of great economic dependence from Russia Belarusan authorities will try not to flare up tensions in its relations with the eastern neighbor.

Such opinion in the talk with the EuroBelarus Information Service shared the economist Leanid Zlotnikau.

 Belarus-Russia economic relations are deteriorating again. Russian “Uralkalij” has decided to stop its cooperation with “Belarusian Potash Company”, and Henadzij Onischenko, Russian Chief Sanitary Inspector, warned Belarusan side that there will be no re-export  of the forbidden in Russia Ukrainian confectionery. After that he also expressed doubt about the origin of Belarusan milk.

- Russian authorities start revealing certain dissatisfaction with the actions of the Belarusan side, and not only in regard with the above-mentioned issues, - Leanid Zlotnikau noted. – On the one hand, official Kremlin understands that it were Belarusans who are to blame for the breakup of the Belaruskalij Company. And, naturally, the fact that Belarus re-exports goods is not very pleasant for Russia, too. But on the whole, over the last time Russia wanted more from Belarus, namely the participation of their capital in our country’s privatization processes. And judging from the more thorough look on the relations with Belarus, we can assume that this general dissatisfaction has increased”.

According to the economist, Belarus can dispel claims of Russia to the re-export of foreign goods and the quality of milk products only if the problem with creating five shared Belarus-Russia enterprises is resolved. And it has been long since some positive dynamics in development of these projects was observed.

Belarusan authorities basically have no other ammunition for trade with Russia, the expert believes. “The only thing we can talk about now is the creation of air-base. Belarus has too little ammunition, and our country is highly dependent on Russia when it comes to the problems of electricity supplies and loans”, - Leanid Zlotnikau reminded.

Being in such a needy condition, it is unlikely that Belarus ventures taking some decisive actions to meet the claims from the Russian side and will prefer the tactics of manoeuvring rather than direct conflict, the economist made his supposition.