Kremlin charges Belarusian Foreign Ministry with “indiscretion”

• 29.07.2009, 16:00

Moscow finds that recommendations of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to its citizens to observe Georgian laws in Abkhazia and South Ossetia inappropriate.

It has been stated on Wednesday by a source in the Kremlin, RIA Novosti informs.

Belarusian Foreign Ministry official Alyaksandr Lukashevich earlier advised Belarusian nationals to abide by Georgian laws when visiting South Ossetia and Abkhazia, comments that were welcomed by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

“These recommendations are, to say the least, simply inappropriate,” the source stated.

The source has also added that Belarus unlike a number of Western countries, Belarus has yet to take a definite stance on the issue of non-recognition of the breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

As we have informed, Tbilisi announced Abkhazia and South Ossetia occupied territories and broke diplomatic relations with Russia.

Once Belarus supported Russia’s armed hostilities in South Ossetia and Georgia, though with noticeable delay. Later Alyaksandr Lukashenka and officials of the Foreign Ministry of the country many times hinted that Sukhumi and Tskhinvali are to receive recognition from Minsk in near future.

However, the process was obviously dragged out. Lukashenka referred to the “parliament”, and the “parliament” referred to Lukashenka, noting that t decide such issues lie out of its cognizance.

Experts express an opinion that the Belarusian ruler will continue to play on contradictions between Russia and the EU, delaying recognition of the republics as long as possible, trying to get preferences from the both sides in the meantime.