Belarusian press on diplomatic row with US
“The future of the Belarus-US dialogue depends on the full abolition of economic sanctions against Belarus”, said Belarus’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Popov.
“As soon as the government of Belarus frees all the political prisoners, we will begin a dialogue with sensible compromises all around”, said US Assistance Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.
In the Belarus-US row, each of the sides sits tight on their positions. The United States demands the authorities in Belarus to free the last political prisoner, Alexander Kozulin. Belarus does not wish to make a step forward until Americans lift all their sanctions against this country.
In covering this conflict, the Belarusian media also split into two categories.
We remind that in respond to the expansion of US sanctions, Belarus on March 7 told its ambassador in Washington Mikhail Khvastou to return home for consultations and issued “insistent recommendations” to US ambassador in Minsk to leave for US. Karen Stewart left Minsk on March 12.
“Minsk politely asked and Washington recalled its ambassador for consultations”, wrote Narodnaya Gazeta covering the developments of the past two weeks.
“An insistent request from the Belarusian foreign ministry forced the diplomat to hurry with her departure “for consultations”. The subtle wording proves Belarus’s strong intention to resolve the conflict at the level of negotiations and avoid high-flown statements”.
The words of the journalist about politeness and a desire to avoid high-flown statements do not sound very convincing at the background of the column title: NON GRATA. At the same time, compared to Lukashenka’s threats last year “to throw out the ambassador from the country”, the request to hurry with the departure “for consultations” indeed sounds more polite.
“If the sanctions that will be significant for our economy are introduced, we will retaliate in the harshest way… The US ambassador will be the first one to be thrown out”, said Lukashenka in December 2007. Apparently, the Belarusian leader is keeping his word.
In the same article, Narodnaya Gazeta expressed a view that it was not accidental that the US introduced fresh sanctions now. In the view of the author, the United States is trying to worsen Belarus’s relations with Europe:
“It is noteworthy that the deterioration of relations occurred exactly at the moment when some rapprochement between Belarus and EU could be observed. Accidentally or not, Washington announced fresh sanctions on the same day when Minsk and Brussels signed an agreement to open a European Commission’s mission in the Belarusian capital”.
“America’s loud accord aims to stop rapprochement between EU and Belarus”, wrote Respublika. The journalist of this state-owned newspaper is confident that US motives are obvious:
“The aim of the publication of the US Department of Treasury on the eve of signing a very important agreement for the further development of relations between Belarus and Europe is obvious. It aimed to disrupt the warming in Belarus-EU relations.
With this move, the US did not simply hint to Europe that they should delay the signing of the agreement with Belarus. The US unambiguously was pushing Europe to this step”.
“However the US provocation failed. On March 7 Belarus and the European Commission signed an agreement…”, continues Respublika’s journalist.
The Unites States has the other reasoning. In an interview with the European Radio for Belarus, David Kramer stressed that “the coordination and cooperation between EU and US remain very strong” and that they have common demands to release Alexander Kozulin.
However, Respublika newspaper cautions the Belarusian authorities from what it described as “saving the Belarusian Private Rayne”:
“… apart from saving the Belarusian “Ryane”, they (US) have no political leverage to put pressure on the situation in Belarus. But the release of Kozulin will allow them to try to destabilize politically the situation in Belarus, because the remaining cohort of the opposition leaders has already been written off from their plans…”
Belarus president rushed to calm down the state-run media that are inclined to paranoia. “The situation is Belarus and stable and quiet”, he noted when addressing a meeting on the defense, national security and law-enforcement in this country.
“Some states are trying to instigate the situation around Belarus. Particularly, US are trying to do that by their actions against Belneftekhim’s assets”.
I would like to tell you right away that this is absolutely not critical for the country. We used to live, are living now in the conditions of the so called sanctions and will continue to live”, 7 Days newspaper quotes Lukashenka as saying.
“It seems that the Belarusian government thinks that keeping Kozulin in prison is of a greater advantage than improving relations with the West”, David Kramer told the European Radio for Belarus. He seems to be right.
