Andrei Yahorau:When it comes to influence on the EU Belarusan leaders are showing off
15.01.2013 | Politics
During the press-conference arranged for Belarusan and foreign Mass Media Aliaksandr Lukashenka expressed confidence that Lithuania will not agree to the rupture of diplomatic relations with Belarus.
“Cutting ties with Belarus would be an insane decision,” Alexander Lukashenko said according to BelTA.
The President also noted that “about 30% of Lithuania’s budget is generated by Belarus. As I was informed, in 2015 or even earlier, the European Union will not subsidize Lithuania anymore like it is doing now by giving it two or three billions. Lithuania will face even bigger issues”.
Developing the topic of relations with the Baltic countries, Aliaksandr Lukashenka said: “If we see respectful attitude that we deserve on the part of our partners in Lithuania and Latvia, we will give them money (by transshipping our cargo and creating jobs); if they appreciate it, we will be ready to cooperate with them. We do not have any stereotyped policies towards them. We really do not. We will proceed from the foreign and domestic policy of Lithuania and Latvia towards Belarus.”
The director of Centre for European Transformation, political scientist Andrei Yahorau concurs in the great importance that trade and economic ties with Belarus have for Lithuania as well as for some other European countries: “That is why these countries when exercising their influence upon the politics of the European Union will, of course, act rather pragmatically. And these economic interests in particular are the reason why it is impossible for the EU to impose large-scale economic sanctions against Belarus”, - said Andrei Yahorau in the talk with the EuroBelarus Information Service.
To some extent official Minsk tries to play at the disagreements between the EU countries, as it was, for instance, during the diplomatic conflict connected with the expulsion of the Head of the EU Delegation Maira Mora and the Polish Ambassador Leszek Sherepka. “But the European Union stated a consolidation reaction of all ambassadors then, - recalled Andrei Yahorau. – The same way Belarus will not be able to drive a wedge between the EU countries now, as the relations between these countries are much tighter and closer. And the level of economic interdependence and political assistance between the member-countries is much higher than between any of these countries and Belarus”.
According to the political expert, Belarus, as stated by Lukashenka, is showing off rather than has a real opportunity to make an impact on the European Union.
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