Has Sidorski returned from Moscow empty-handed?
- 7.10.2009, 9:58
Yesterday a meeting of Prime Ministers of Russia and Belarus, Vladimir Putin and Syarhei Sidorski took place in Moscow. The results of the talks are unknown, as the meting was held behind the closed doors.
An interview by Alyaksandr Lukashenka added to the difficult landscape of Russian-Belarusian relations. The interview was given in the end of last week to Russian journalists. He was not only blasting the policy of the Kremlin towards Minsk, but accused Putin personally for collapse of the “union state”. In this context the effectiveness of the talks of the prime ministers was questionable.
However, yesterday Putin didn’t say a word about Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who on the contrary had said a lot and in detail about Putin. “Kommersant” newspaper believes that the reason is that the Russian Prime Minister has decided to ignore the Belarusian ruler, at least until he would come to senses.
As “Nezavisimaya gazeta” writes, coverage of the key issue, Russia’s refusal to give the last part of the loan, $500 mln, for which Sidorski arrived to Moscow, was not discussed by prime ministers in presence of the press. However, it hadn’t stopped them from exchanging pinpricks. In particular, Putin reminded Sidorski that Belarus received Russian oil and gas at low prices, which creates additional stability for Belarusian economy. Sidorski hasn’t left these words unanswered and offered to discuss deliveries of Russian oil to Belarusian oil refineries. It looks as if Minsk wants to receive great preferences fro Moscow in this sphere.
Meanwhile, experts in Belarus actively discussed the issue how the failure to recieve the Russian loan of 2 billion would influence the economy of Belarus. Minsk reminded Moscow several times about the last tranche of $500 mln, but to no avail. However on Monday Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin stated that issuing of this sum on bilateral level is not planned. The minister specified that Belarus has chances to receive this money only under the EurAsEC's anti-crisis fund. The Belarusian foil of Kudrin, Andrei Kharkavets, responded through official media, that Minsk hadn’t asked money from the EurAsEC, and in general, “there is no formalized procedure of work with the fund” so far. Proceeding from that, Kharkavets stated that Belarus will continue talks with Russia about receiving the credit.
Meanwhile experts and the population discuss the question what would happen to the Belarusian economy, if $500 mln won’t be received from Russia. Independent experts say about the consequences and underline that $500 mln won’t rescue the economy. But denial to give the loan should be interpreted as a hint that Moscow would say no to other questions and proposals of Minsk. And Minsk has many of them.
In particular, the Belarusian side offers to cancel dividing oil dues and asks not in increase gas price in 2010, rationalizing that by creation of the Customs Union and a difficult situation in the economy in general due to the crisis. By the way, rumours are spread among state-paid workers that they won’t receive their salaries on time, though they are low even without that. Local mass media inform that the Health Ministry has already “made happy” its employees that salaries would be delayed.
The Belarusian authorities have made it understood that in the next confrontation with Moscow they will not simply hold the blow, but would try to respond as they can. According to some media, state control officials under different pretexts seize Russian goods from shops. One of the reasons is for instance too small letters on packages. These inspections have been started last week by the head of the State Control Committee Zyanon Lomats. By such measures, expert think, the authorities hint Moscow that they are ready to start a trade war, and at the same time they fight negative foreign trade balance by banning imports.