Mass media: In Moscow Lukashenka was reminded of “little debt”

• 20.03.2012, 10:44

Russia’s support will not be costless any more.

On March 19 the summit of the EurAsEC (the Eurasian Economic Community), which includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, was held in Moscow.

The presidents of these four states and the countries-observers (Ukraine, Moldova and Armenia) gathered in the Kremlin. Russia wants to transform the EurAsEc into a Eurasian Economic Union, and President Dmitry Medvedev stated at the summit that reforming of this organization should not be put back any longer. However the main result of the meeting was a decision to postpone transformation, the agreement is not to be signed earlier than 2015. Minsk was a hindrance, as it had differences with Moscow, mass media hint.

Doubts over the prospects of the EurAsEc in its present format started to show alongside with the development of integration processes inside the community between certain states, “Rossijskaya gazeta” reminds. First Russia, and then Kazakhstan and Belarus launched a tripartite Customs union, and since December 1 2012 – the Single Economic Space, having in fact created a common market with free movement of goods, services, capital and workforce, pursuing coordinated tax, money and credit, monetary and financial, trade and customs policy.

Last year Vladimir Putin offered to create the Eurasian Economic Union, and member countries of the EurAsEc endorsed the idea.

In December Alyaksandr Lukashenka openly stated that his country would not finance the structures and officials of the EurAsEc any more. They had gained all their objectives in fact. He also seriously insisted that the EurAsEc had worked itself out, and the future cooperation in this region should be carried out in the framework of the Single Economic Space, to which Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan could be joined.

However, as “Kommersant” has found out, though Moscow and Minsk do not question that the EurAsEc should be liquidated, have not agreed upon the form of the future integration association, and on some issues of its legal standing.

According to the draft agreement the newspaper received, which was dated by March 6 and approved by experts of Russia and Belarus only, as their Kazakh colleagues did not have authority for that then, difficulties between the partners emerged already at the stage of inventing a name for the new association. Moscow offered to call it the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), while Minsk offered to call it the Eurasian Single Economic Space (EASES).

It is stated in the Russian variant of the text that the EAEU has a right to enter into agreements with third parties, which are formalized by the decision of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (presidents are its members).

And the Belarusian story is the following: before approving this or that agreement by the highest organ of the organization, it should pass through internal state procedures. Thus an opportunity to block a decision at the state level remains.

At the same time, a source in the Kremlin to which the newspaper addressed, proved false reports that there had been differing points of view when the agreement on reorganisation of the EurAsEc was prepared. And a Russian diplomat who knows about the talks confirmed the difference of opinions and added that the name of the organization was not the key problem.

“The presidents discussed in which direction to go next. Everything depends on in which spheres this integration will take place. The main thing they had been discussing was its speed and direction. Legal standing and everything else are secondary things. We had a long discussion in which direction to move,” he told.

However, Alyaksandr Lukashenka used the visit to Moscow in order to solve his own problems, “Novye izvestiya” writes. He hurried to earn support from Russia in the face of harsh economic sanctions by the West. The sanctions are hanging over Belarus after the denial to release political prisoners, and the hasty execution of the two young men charged with the terrorist attack in Minsk metro in April 2011.

Before the end of March the EU Council of the European Ministers is to consider the full list of businesses and businessmen on which sanctions are to be imposed. In particular, harsh measures are to be used against the key enterprises of the Belarusian industry – the state-owned concern Belneftekhim and key banks. So in fact Lukashenka had arrived to Moscow to win moral support, the newspaper concludes, and reminds that Moscow has partially lent shoulder to Minsk already. The Foreign Ministry of Russia has urged Europe “to abstain from the attempts to exert pressure on our partners in the Customs Union.”

Last week some local mass media informed that Naftan-Polimir is being prepared to be sold to Russian LUKOIL. However, these reports have not been officially confirmed either at Belneftekhim or at the enterprise itself.

Belarusian experts believe that so far the authorities of Belarus should not fear harsh pressure on the part of Russia, which is busy with pre-election or post-election affairs. However, they do not exclude that during a new meeting in Moscow the ruler of Belarus would be reminded that he has “a little debt.”