Raman Yakauleuski: “Belarusian authorities speaking about a dialogue with Brussels, but tighten repressions”

“It is like a joke about pluralism in one head. On the one hand, we hear about liberalization, but on the other hand, we see tightening repressions,” political observer Raman Yakauleuski commented on a visit of Javier Solana to Minsk.

“I’d like to draw your attention to the fact that some days ago Mr Solana paid a visit to Moscow. After that visit, he said the European Union and Russian still had some difficulties. In particular, he meant recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. His position was hard, and I’ve got an impression negotiation in Moscow were difficult. In my view, such an experienced negotiator as Solana, decided to play a new game, which is to tickle Moscow – a visit to Minsk,” the journalist told in an interview to Euramost.org.

Yakauleski reminds that after a visit of Belarusian foreign minister Syarhei Martynau to Brussels, the Ministry of Foreign Affaires of Belarus reported about his meetings with the EU troika.

“Solana is a member of the troika, but he didn’t meet Martynau, he was in Egypt at that time. Belarusian ambassador to Brussels is former head of the Belarusian Foreign Minister Uladzimir Syanko. He might have done his best and made promises, we don’t know what, that influenced Solana’s decision to visit Belarus. Moreover, a Benita Ferrero-Waldner has scheduled her visit to Belarus for March. However, if Solana arrived in Minsk, she is hardly expected to come here. Because they both are responsible to the EU’s foreign policy,” the expert notes.

Raman Yakauleuski explains why the EU’s high representative visited Minsk:

“Lukashenka probably promised something to Solana, the latter swallowed the bait. Plus an opportunity to tickle the Kremlin. I don’t exclude this motivation of Solana’s visit. But let’s look at the results. What do we see? From the one hand the Belarusian authorities are announcing willingness to have a dialogue with Brussels, but on the other hand, we see tightening repressions. I mean political draft and Vaukavysk case. When I read about the case of Vaukavysk businessmen, about Almaz group operation, I have an impression that I read not about Belarusian town Vaukavysk, but about Nazran in Ingushetia.

These rather dangerous performances are held amid the crisis, which is aggravating in Belarus. It demonstrates that the situation in Belarus is not so calm, as were are said and as certain persons want to see it. Solana is known not only as an experienced of a negotiator, but also as an experienced anti-crisis manager. So, it is unclear what is what. It is like a joke about pluralism in one head. On the one hand, we hear about liberalization and openness to the West, but on the other hand, we see tightening repressions, which obtain new senses,” Yakauleuski says.