Lukashenka starts to talk about “failure” of Customs Union
- 12.03.2010, 18:02
The Belarusian ruler is dissatisfied with construction of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, and doubts its future existence.
“We are building the Customs Union. It should be understood that it is destined to fail if, at this stage, we start making corrections, introducing provisos, exceptions which contradict this process, dreaming up some special model… If we are to create the Customs Union, we should be guided by its classical notion, classical principles that are generally acknowledged. It is the union we initially agreed to”, Lukashenka stated after getting familiar with the report presented by Belarus’ Co-chairman of the Customs Union Commission, Belarus Vice Premier Andrei Kabyakou.
As Interfax was told by the press-service of the Belarusian ruler, such a statement had been made by him, reminding that Belarusian authorities regard the Customs Union as a stage on the way towards the single economic space.
As said by Lukashenka, “if provisos have to be made for oil, oil products, gas, sugar, milk, butter, meat, wheat, then it is likely that neither Russia, nor Kazakhstan nor Belarus needs such a customs union. This is why it would be desirable to clearly see our interests and our positions,” he said.
Besides, the Belarusian leader warned Kabyakou about a necessity of unconditional serving the interests of Belarus in the Customs Union.
““I am warning you as the head of the Belarusian delegation in the Customs Union Commission: in no way should we deceive our partners or give up on our interests. We should determine the policy now because later it will be irreversible. It will be too late to fight for our own interests,” Lukashenka said.
“We are not so rich to sacrifice any of our interests. We are not Kazakhstan, and which is more, we are not Russia: they have things to sacrifice, they have enough hydrocarbon reserves,” he stated.
In his turn Kabyakou reminded about the oil conflict between Russia and Belarus.
“I underline once again: we are not going to retract from the sticking to initial principles which had been laid as foundation of the Customs Union creation and belong to the classical notion of “a customs union”. If someone wants to retract from it, the question suggests itself: how sincere we are in creation of the Customs Union,” Kabyakou said.
As BelTA informs, Kabyakou expressed certitude that “we are to find different solutions in the oil issue, and not in the way it has happened for the present moment”. “I have already said that creation of a single customs territory does not imply existence of some duties in mutual trade, both import and export ones,” Vice Premier said.