At CIS summit Lukashenka attacked Kudrin again for refusal to give loan
- 9.10.2009, 15:38
Alyaksandr Lukashenka stated that at the CIS summit in Chisinau a harsh and principled talk took place.
“We had a really keen and harsh conversation,” he said to journalists in Chisinau, summing up the results of the summit of the CIS countries, Interfax informs.
Lukashenka said that before the summit “the agenda was being formulated with difficulty”. “The situation was rescued by Belarusians. They introduced for consideration the issue of measures for overcoming the effects of the global financial crisis,” he noted. When discussing this problem, the Belarusian leader stated, “Bayonets were crossed in this issue”. “A year ago an order was made to prepare a relevant plan, a year has passed, and nothing has been done,” he noted.
As said by him, “the crisis is over, and they are still talking about how to boost, increase, lower”.
Lukashenka told that during the restricted session of the heads of the CIS countries he asked a question to Russian Prime Minister, head of the Finance Ministry Alexei Kudrin: “Russia is a rich country. So, how can you help us all?”
“[It was] a concrete question, without any other questions about increasing or decreasing anything,” Lukashenka continued. Referring to statements of the Russian side, he noted that “conversations started: yes, we vote in the IMF”. In this context the Belarusian leader stated: “It turns so that the IMF gives us a loan taking into account what Russia promised”. “He [Kudrin] stated that we [Russia] won’t give $500 mln. The IMF asks us: well, we expected Russia to give you $500 mln,” Lukashenka said.
“So I say: is this how you are helping us? I think that I laid emphasis on this question appropriately,” he stated.
Lukashenka quoted Russian Finance Minister again: “Well, we have nothing against it. We will study $500 mln issue.” “So why do you say that you won’t give us the loan?” A. Lukashenka asked.
The Belarusian ruler noted the “principled stand” of Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko. “Viktor Yushchenko’s speech was very forceful. His line of argument was deadly. The essence of his speech was that they [Ukraine] wouldn’t have to ask for 17 billion [dollars] from the IMF, we wouldn’t have to ask for $500 mln, if we have created a free trade zone [in the framework of the CIS], which has been much discussed by us,” A. Lukashenka noted. “We would earn this money ourselves,” Lukashenka noted, telling about the address by Yushchenko.
“It was a forceful, substantiated position of the Ukrainian president,” the ruler underlined. As said by him, “Tajikistan, Azerbaijan spoke in the similar vein”. “They [Russia] hadn't a leg to stand on,” Lukashenka said.