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Statement of Presidential Press Service on the Situation
Connected with Gas Supplies Cuts to Belarus
On February
19 President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko held a meeting
on the situation connected with gas supplies cuts to Belarus.
According
to Alexander Lukashenko, “we cannot hold our country, millions of people,
hostage. Moreover, the transit pipeline goes through Belarus further to
Lithuania, Poland, Germany, France and what is very important to Kaliningrad
oblast, Belarus is morally responsible for”. This Russian enclave, as the
president stressed,“ is now in the worse situation than Belarus”.
“We can
say, and all participants to the meeting realize it, that Russia has never
acted this way with respect to any country, which takes gas from it and does
not pay. We pay “Gazprom” 100% for gas supplies”, the President stated.
According
to the President, the whole world fights today against terrorism. “Tell me
what this is? I believe it to be an act of terror on the highest level, when
natural gas is not delivered to the people, half of them having Russian
roots, when it is - 20 C (5 F) degrees outside, while Belarus fully pays for
this gas”, Alexander Lukashenko said.
According
to Alexander Lukashenko, “it is really a historical moment today, but with a
bitter gas taste”. “It is true that I said in the morning that apparently
the Belarusian-Russian relations would be poisoned by this gas for a long
time. It is a pity. But the God sees it is not our fault”, he said.
At the same
time the president has added that in the present situation there is nothing
new for Belarus. The same events happened a year ago. Every winter as soon
as it becomes cold in February our brothers – the Russians, the leadership
of Russia (I do not want to say anything about the Russian people) uses the
gas valve”, the President underscored.
Alexander
Lukashenko drew attention of the government, employees of the presidential
administration and other officials to the fact that the gas situation first
of all touched upon the interests of ordinary people. Alexander Lukashenko
singled out necessity to sign an agreement with the Russian party under new
conditions. “Let the people reproach us that we failed to hold out, that we
gave up and so on. It is necessary to sign the agreement under Putin’s
conditions. If Putin wants us to pay the money, let's collect it: from the
medicines, from the people who suffered at Chernobyl, from those who had
rotten in trenches. Indeed, we can collect this $200mln. And I think we will
solve the problem. We will be manipulated and blackmailed no more.
Nevertheless I demand that all agreements with the Russian Federation should
be reexamined,” Alexander Lukashenko gave this order to Prime Minister
Sergei Sidorskiy and Head of the Presidential Administration Ural Latypov.
Alexander
Lukashenko asked the Prime Minister to provide clear and detailed
information on the implementation of bilateral agreements with Russia.
According to Sergei Sidorskiy, Belarus fulfils all agreements signed with
Russia that presently remain in force.
At the
moment the pressure in the gas pipes on the territory of Belarus makes 18-28
atm, though the pressure outlined in the contracts should be 36-40 atm (full
text of Belarusian President remarks may be found at
http://www.belta.by/EngNews.nsf/ByRubrics/1ADCBD5EE975A48442256E3F00506D6E?).
Statement of Spokesman for Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Republic of Belarus on the Situation with Gas Supplies
The
perverted logic of the statement made by a representative of the foreign
ministry of Russia causes perplexity.
It is an
evident attempt to lay the blame on somebody else and to mislead the public
opinion.
The gas
valve was turned off by the Russian side in contravention of all present
intergovernmental agreements concluded between the two states.
The price for gas
imposed by “Gazprom” also conflicts with these agreements.
We repeatedly and timely
drew attention of the Russian Foreign Ministry to this situation through
diplomatic channels.
It is also appropriate
to remind that in the memorandum on security guarantees in connection with
the accession of the Republic of Belarus to the Treaty on Nonproliferation
of Nuclear Weapons signed in December 1994 by Russia, Belarus, the USA and
Great Britain in Budapest Russia undertook an obligation “to refrain from
economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise
by the Republic of Belarus of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and
thus to secure advantages of any kind”.
Can we call
the Russian side’s actions the implementation of these commitments?
In this
light, accusing Belarus of aggravating tensions with Russia seems absurd. We
did not cut off the gas, did we?
By the way,
violations of obligations by the Gazprom caused serious concern of the
countries located to the west of Belarus which also have suffered from the
irresponsible actions.
Attacks by
a Foreign Ministry’s representative against the Belarusian domestic
situation and its leadership do not only contravene union relations, they
have nothing in common with the reality.
We are
surprised that the statements of the kind came from the Russian Foreign
Ministry.
The
brotherly relations between our nations demand quite the opposite treatment
than the one demonstrated by the Russian side in terms of gas supplies.
Belarus has
always been a supporter of equal and respectful relations.
On the demonstration in front of the Russian Embassy in
Minsk
Some 200
people staged an hour-long demonstration in front of the Russian Embassy in
Minsk on 19 February, protesting against Gazprom's decision to stop gas
deliveries to Belarus. Protesters displayed Belarusian state flags and
banners saying, "Our relations are poisoned by gas," "No to gas war!" and
"This is stab in the back of the Belarusian people". By their demonstration,
representatives of Minsk factories' staff, youth and veteran organizations
aimed to inform the Russian public of the irreparable damage caused by
Russia's actions over gas supply to the friendship of the Russian and
Belarusian peoples that dates back to centuries.
Belarusian Ambassador to USA Presents Credentials to Mexican
President
On February
17, 2004 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to the USA
and Mexico (non-resident) Mikhail Khvostov presented credentials to
President of Mexico Vicente Fox.
At the
meeting Mikhail Khvostov noted the desire of Belarus to develop multilateral
relations with Mexico, extend political and diplomatic dialogue and
cooperation and strengthen trade and economic relations.
Within the
framework of the visit to Mexico Mikhail Khvostov met with the Minister of
Agriculture, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affaires, Deputy Minister of
Economy. The Belarusian Ambassador also held negotiations in the Mexican
Council of Businessmen on Foreign Trade, Investments and Technologies and in
the Secretariat on International Economic Relations and Cooperation of the
Foreign Ministry of Mexico.
The sides
discussed issues dedicated to the diplomatic interaction, cooperation in
international organizations, supplies of Belarusian agricultural equipment
to Mexico, development of direct relations between manufacturers and
consumers of the two states. |
