Paul
Goble
Staunton, October 11 -- In his extended
first meeting with Mikhael Babich, Putin’s new ambassador to Minsk, Belarusian
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka made it very clear that his country “was, is
and will remain sovereign and does not plan to become part of the Russian
Federation under any circumstances.”
Their meeting took place yesterday,
and Lukashenka’s remarks were broadcast on Belarusian television, underscoring
how important he viewed them as dispelling widespread rumors that Putin had
sent Babich to Belarus to prepare for an Anschluss of that country (censoru.net/30054-lukashenko-poslal-posla-rf-belarus-ne-vojdet-v-sostav-rf-video.html).
“We are a sovereign and independent
country,” Lukashenka told Babich. “If one speaks openly then this is the case
not only thanks to the efforts of our people. Russia wanted this, and the
leadership of Russia at that time. The present leadership has declared that it
is continuing that course.”
“To speak in the 21st
century of the incorporation or inclusion of Belarus as part of Russia as some
there write is simply funny. I have never heard this even once from the President
of Russia. And I never heard if from the first President of Russia either,” the
Belarusian president continued.
“I think that we have developed
normal relations, but I want that you hear about how I see our relations with
the Russian Federation from my own lips and in public,” Lukashenka concluded.
He also added that “Belarus was and remains
Russia’s ally, and is linked to it not only by a common history but by a large
number of integration agreements. There will be no ‘turn to the West, which some
Russians fear,” Lukashenka told Babich.
No comments:
Post a Comment