Makei: First Oil, Then Integration Action Plans

The head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry is ready to increase the country's dependence on Russia in exchange for oil.

On Thursday Foreign Minister of Belarus Uladzimir Makei commented on the situation with the deepening of integration with Russia. According to him, at the moment the Belarusian authorities see no sense in working on "the integrationaction plans". Makei proposed to solve "the issue of oil supply" first, and then to "think further," euroradio.fm.

"The [Belarusian-Russian] working group [on integration] is not currently working and there is no sense to work on these "action plans" until these issues are solved," - Makei said. On March 5, he took part in a solemn event dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons entry into force, which was held at the Foreign Ministry of our country.

As you know, in late 2019, Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Vladimir Putin signed no documents on "deepening integration" against the background of street protests in Minsk. Belarus did not have a contract for the supply of Russian oil in 2020, and from January 1, they were significantly reduced. It encouraged Minsk to organize alternative supplies.