Stanislau Bahdankevich: US has found Lukashenka’s weak point
- 15.11.2007, 16:40
A former chairman of the National bank of Belarus, Stanislau Bahdankevich, believes that imposing sanctions against Belneftekhim concern, the US have pointed out the weakest point of the Belarusian economy, energy resources.
It was mostly Belneftekhim that realized challenging contacts with rogue states, Iran and Venezuela. It can explain why the concern has become a target for sanctions, the expert told in an interview to “Ezhednevnik”.
According to the former prime Minister of Belarus, Mikhail Chyhir, sanctions against Belneftekhim have been slapped most likely because of the plans of Belarus to produce oil in Venezuela starting in this year. Thus the US is not only making a political gesture against Belarus, but also debases the image of Belarus in the eyes of corporations working in Latin America.
According to the head of the Belarusian Mises Research Center, Yaraslau Ramanchuk, sanctions could influence not only freezing assets, but certain oil contracts, and also the further worsening of the energy situation in Belarusian economy. And it would certainly affect the political scene. Besides, this situation can have an effect on the new energy policy of Belarus on cooperation with Iran and Venezuela. Unlike these two countries Belarus cannot play on oil products market independently.
As an independent expert Mikhail Zaleski believes, for the Belarusian Belneftekhim is a “golden key” which opens a way to the future. And now there is an attempt if not to snatch, then to reject this key as defective. A desire to block Iranian or Venezuelan oil contract in this way is considered a too complex method by the economist. However it is still unclear how this bad news would affect the results of Belneftekhim work. In any case, according to Zaleski, sanctions are a political move aimed at achieving freedom and democracy in Belarus.
On Tuesday, November 13, the Bush administration slapped U.S. financial sanctions on Belarusian oil processor Belneftekhim. The reason for that was that the concern is controlled by Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Sanctions of the U.S. Treasury concern all Belneftekhim offices in Germany, Ukraine, Latvia, Russia and China, and the American branch of the concern Belneftekhim USA. The US demand to stop repressions in Belarus and release political prisoners.
Previously US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Kramer said Washington would impose new sanctions against the Belarusian authorities. The US spokesman noted that new sanctions are connected with the fact that the Belarusian authorities have refused to release political prisoners.
“I’m disappointed to see that no political prisoners have been released. Moreover, we have seen the regime enforcing the pressure on the opposition and activists of non-governmental organizations”, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State said.