Makei Vows Allegiance To Moscow

The Foreign Minister asked not to reckon the Belarusian government a parasite of the eastern neighbor.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Uladzimir Makei stated that no one would cause Belarus and Russia to fall out in favour of some “mercenary interests”, in his article dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the foreign policy of the independent Belarus, published in the “Belaruskaya Dumka” magazine. This has been reported by the official website of the Belarusian MFA.

Uladzimir Makei has noted that, unfortunately, various events and processes which are taking place in the region (the Ukrainian crisis, mutual sanctions between Russia and the EU etc.) make an imprint on the Russia-Belarus relations also. "In what way? It reveals in the fact that some politicians, biased media and experts are trying to cultivate the image of Belarus as "Russia’s sponger." The natural desire of Minsk to normalize the relations with the EU and the US, at least come close to the level of cooperation with the West, which has existed in the Russian Federation and other former Soviet countries, is treated as "Belarus’ departure to the West," improper fulfillment of the union obligations. Often, the problems in the areas of trade and economy, fuel and energy, cross-border and other interaction are created artificially," - he has explained.

“However, both the leaders and the people of Belarus and Russia have inner confidence that all this fuss will go by once again, and no one would cause the amicable states to fall out due to some mercenary interests, no one would break the integration connections, which have no analogues at the post-Soviet space. I am speaking about the “union state” in the first place,” – Uladzimir Makei has underlined.

The Minister has noted that during the years of painstaking work they recreated the "common space" from Brest to Vladivostok, where the Belarusians and Russians generally have equal rights in employment, legislation, social security, medicine, purchase of accommodation, business. "Citizens have the freedom of movement, the choice of residence. The budget of the "union state" funds a number of union programs in various fields: space, information technology, microelectronics, agriculture, overcoming the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, "- the article says.

Every second Belarusian enterprise is closely connected with the Russian partners by cooperative relations. The investment cooperation is actively developing. The landmark joint projects include the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Astravets.