Andrei Sannikov: “If Lukashenka Doesn’t Use Chance, Tough Measures To Be Taken Against Him”

The leader of European Belarus Andrei Sannikov has visited the US, Canada and the Great Britain.

In his interview to charter97.org Andrei Sannikov told about his visit to the leading states of the world, and about what the Western policy towards Belarus would be.

– Let’s start from London, where you have been invited to the prize-giving ceremony of the Sergei Magnitsky Award. What kind of award it is, and why it is so important today?

– This ceremony has taken place for the first time. The Sergei Magnitsky Human Rights Award has been just launched, and it honours people who had done a lot for passing Magnitsky Act in the US, and who are doing a lot for such a law to be adopted in Europe – in separate countries and in the European Union in general.

This year people, who had been seeking crimes against human rights in Russia not to go unpunished, were honoured. Boris Nemtsov was awarded the prize posthumously. He had done a lot for the crimes of Russian officials not to go unpunished. Among the winners also were a US Congressman, journalists, human rights activists and lawyers.

– Did you recall the experience of Belarus? As what is happening with the Russian opposition, had been happening to the Belarusian one long before.

– At the ceremony there were people who are fighting for human rights in our region – Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Boris Nemtsov’s daughter Zhanna, European MPs and human rights activists. Certainly, I told about Belarus.

As the award was given a few days after the sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime were suspended, it was useful to discuss the new situation with European politicians, to attract attention to the fact that human rights violations in our country continue, and that such overtures to Lukashenka could bring about negative outcome. In particular, we talked about in detail with the former Foreign Affairs Minister of Poland Anna Fotyga, now a Member of the European Parliament.

In London I also held a meeting at the British Foreign Office with its officials responsible for Belarus, where the stand of the Great Britain towards Belarus was discussed in detail.

– What is the position of the Great Britain towards Belarus today?

– I was assured that there are no illusions about Lukashenka’s regime – Europeans are simply trying to discover some channels to help democratizations of Belarus.

– What channels are meant, as aid to Belarusian independent media, public and oppositional structures is being considerably diminished at the moment?

– I have been talking about that, as many times we found ourselves in a situation when Europeans fostered hopes of possible reforming Lukashenka’s regime, and closed their eyes to the fact that the crackdown on the civil society, independent journalists, political opposition is only getting worse.

I urged to avoid the situation observed in the run-up to the elections – 2010, when Europe interacted with Lukashenka only – and we know the result of that.

– At the US National Security Council in Washington you held a meeting with a Special assistant to President Barack Obama. Why the US have eased the sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime, as it an obvious concession to the dictator?

– The US has passed a more weighed decision on the sanctions. They have left the restrictions against a great number of officials and companies. Today America is coordinating its efforts with the European Union, and at the same time closely monitoring the reaction of the Belarusian authorities to such easing policy.

At the National Security Council I was assured that the US won’t sacrifice the principles of democracy or human rights defence, however, in this geopolitical situation they believe that there are opportunities to find new approached to the Belarusian question. At the same time, the principled stand of the US won’t change, and the interest to Belarus is to remain unchanged.

WITH SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE US PRESIDENT CELESTE WALLANDER

– And what’s new about this policy?

– There will be a stricter control over the behaviour of the Belarusian authorities.

– Does the NSC understand the threat from the territory of Belarus as a Russian foothold?

– We discussed military relations between Russia and Belarus. The US understand that today Belarus could pose a threat both to Ukraine and the rest of the neighbouring states – Poland and the Baltic States. All agreements between Moscow and Minsk are a subject of focused attention.

– You have also delivered a lecture at Georgetown University, haven’t you?

- Yes, representatives of the US Department of State, professors and post-graduate students, journalists, political analysts and analysts were present at the lecture. Quite a frank talk took place. There was a great interest to Belarus specifically, and to the entire region – those present were interested in the issues of relations between Belarus and Ukraine, Russia, the European Union, with the Eurasian union.

- Then you went to Canada, to Halifax International Security Forum. In which way Belarus was discussed there?

- It was a strong forum as usual – people directly involved in issues of security were present there, the leadership of defence ministries of the US, Canada, European countries, the NATO representatives, top analysts, businessmen. I spoke in the discussion on Ukraine. Belarus was not among the topics of the forum, however, general questions of the attitude of the democratic world towards tyranny were discussed.

The democratic world has realized the danger of existence of dictatorial regimes – they could not be treated indifferently, normal relations could not be established with them, as sooner or later these regimes provoke armed conflicts – we are witnessing that in Syria, in Arab East, and also in the actions of Russia towards Ukraine.

— If the democratic world realizes the danger of tyrannies, what the West is doing today towards Lukashenka?

— Today Lukashenka’s regime is offered a certain chance, but it’s a new situation – if the dictator does not use it, harsher measures are to be taken against him. Belarus is a very important link for achieving international security, not only in our region, but worldwide. And these hopes are not pinned on Lukashenka – they are pinned on the democratic changes.