Lyavon Barshcheuski: «Russia should do away with its imperial ambitions»

• 11.12.2007, 12:45

“Russia should do away with its imperial ambitions in relation to Belarus to regard our country as an independent state, not as its north-east province,” Lyavon Barshcheuski, new leader of the Belarusian Popular Front, said on the press conference in Minsk on 11 December.

L. Barshcheuski was elected head of the party on the BPF congress held on 8–9 December in the center of culture of the Minsk Automobile Plant, BelaPAN reminds.

Comments on scheduled for 13–14 December visit of Russia’s president Vladimir Putin to Minsk were made on the press conference.

In this connection L. Barshcheuski said the BPF Party had no information about purposes of Putin’s visit.

But the new BPF leader said nothing would change in Belarus-Russia relation after Dmitri Medvedev had been named as a successor of Russian president. L. Barshcheuski noted the old team in the leadership of Russia would work, which hadn’t showed signs for cooperation with the Belarusian opposition or for having a dialog with democratic forces of Belarus.

In this connection Alyaksei Yanukevich, deputy head of the BPF, said one of the purposes of Russian leader’s visit may be signing of the Constitutional Act of the so called union state. The deputy head thinks this “variant of developments is the most dangerous for the independent state Belarus.”

I was said on the press conference the BPF party is going to hold an action of protest on Kastrychnitskaya Square at 6 p.m. on 12 December in the connection of Putin’s arrival and possible signing of the Constitutional Act.