Pavel Seviarynets: Pray for a new Reagan in America

The USA must require real steps from Lukashenka: release of political prisoners, mass media freedom, and transparent elections.

Pavel Seviarynets, the co-Chairman of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, told in his interview with charter97.org, commenting on the arrival of American congressmen to Minsk.

- At the meeting with Lukashenka an American congressman Dana Rohrabacher declared the necessity to restore full-rate diplomatic US presence in Belarus. How do you assess the diplomatic conflict between our country and America since 2008 and this statement of a congressman?

- Aliaksandr Lukashenka's unwillingness to implement international norms, including those in the sphere of democracy and human rights, were the reason for the conflict. The leadership of the US Embassy was indecently expelled from Belarus, later the number of employees reached pre-war minimum. It happens at least when such relations are close to the "Cold War".

The West took it and since then the American Embassy has had to conduct its activities in a minimal format. There are talks about “liberalization", revision of relations after the Minsk agreements and a war situation in Ukraine. Unfortunately, it is all done behind "closed doors", without meetings with representatives of the Belarusian democratic community and bears the character of a backroom dealing.

There is nothing wrong if it resumes the work of the Embassy of the United States. But if the situation in Belarus is taken as a norm, and the arrival of several employees will be enough for the normalization of relations, then this will be a signal for Lukashenka. Signal for further election fraud, imprisonment of political prisoners, destruction of the Belarusian economy and its close ties with Russia. Thus, nobody asks him to step up.

- Do you think the American diplomacy is acceptable in this case? What should be new conditions for resumption of the Embassy?

-The United States could act hard and step by step, on a specific "road map", considering a difficult situation for the Belarusian regime, to win back a space for democracy in Belarus.

To require real steps: the release of political prisoners, liberalization of mass media and free elections. Generally speaking, the American diplomacy has enough levers of influence, but, unfortunately, it has lack of vigour.

Situation both in Ukraine and Belarus shows that the American administration and diplomacy has lack of persistence that was illustrative of Reagan. Speaking frankly, I just pray for a new Reagan in power in America - a religious, determined person, who can say "no" to dictators like Vladimir Putin or Aliaksandr Lukashenka.

Then it is possible to make major changes. Otherwise, the situation will be preserved and the West will constantly face problems in Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. So, the Belarusians, the Russians, the Ukrainians will suffer the tyranny in Belarus and Russia.