Belarus' president says merger with Russia would lead to violence worse than in Chechnya
The Associated Press
Published: September 29, 2006
MINSK, Belarus Belarus' authoritarian president railed Friday against a proposed merger with Russia, warning it could lead to violence and disorder worse than in Russia's restive Chechnya region.
President Alexander Lukashenko's blunt remarks highlighted the rising tensions between the two ex-Soviet allies amid strained talks over natural gas prices.
Moscow and Minsk signed a union treaty in 1996 that envisaged close political, economic and military ties, but stopped short of creating a single state. The Kremlin, increasingly impatient about subsidizing Belarus' Soviet-style economy with cheap gas, has since proposed that Belarus be absorbed into Russia.
Lukashenko, who has vehemently opposed such a union, reiterated his stance during a 4 1/2-hour news conference Friday. "Even (Soviet dictator Josef) Stalin didn't go as far as that ... I don't want to be the first and the last Belarusian president," he said.
The president, who has sought to cast Belarus as an oasis of calm amid other ex-Soviet nations in turmoil, said its incorporation into Russia could trigger chaos and even fighting.
"As soon as Belarus becomes part of Russia, it'll be worse here than in Chechnya," he said. "We'll have people coming in from Georgia, from Russia, Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries. They are ready today to come with weapons."
Lukashenko has ruled this country of 10 million people with an iron fist since 1994, and was re-elected to a third term in a March vote that the opposition and Western nations denounced as fraudulent.
A pariah dubbed "Europe's last dictator" in the West, Lukashenko has relied on close economic and military ties with neighboring Russia.
His comments Friday signaled a new rift, however, as the two nations hold tense negotiations over efforts by Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly OAO Gazprom to increase gas prices fourfold.
The price increase would initially be offset by the acquisition of Belarusian industrial assets, in particular a 50-percent stake in national gas transport company Beltransgaz, Gazprom officials have said, noting that such an arrangement would give Minsk time to reconfigure its economy to better handle the higher gas prices within a few years.
Lukashenko slammed the proposed hike as a "clear break in all relations, particularly economic."
Belarus now buys its gas from Russia at US$46.68 (36.87) per 1,000 cubic meters. Gazprom wants to charge US$200 (158) per 1,000 cubic meters, company spokesman Igor Volobuyev said Friday. Economists warned that such a high increase could hobble Belarus' industries.
Lukashenko said he was not against the sale of the Beltransgaz shares, but insisted Gazprom should buy them at a fair market price — suggesting the gas giant was undervaluing the stake.
Lukashenko warned Russia "you will lose your last ally, you will simply disgrace yourselves" if the increase is put into effect. "Belarus has been offered a higher price than Germany — we will insist on the original price."
Late last year, Russia re-negotiated natural gas contracts with several former Soviet republics, bringing them closer to European prices, which have soared in line with record oil prices.
Russia's move to sharply increase gas prices for Ukraine in January was widely seen as politically motivated Kremlin pressure on Ukraine's new, Western-leaning government before March parliamentary elections.
MINSK, Belarus Belarus' authoritarian president railed Friday against a proposed merger with Russia, warning it could lead to violence and disorder worse than in Russia's restive Chechnya region.
President Alexander Lukashenko's blunt remarks highlighted the rising tensions between the two ex-Soviet allies amid strained talks over natural gas prices.
Moscow and Minsk signed a union treaty in 1996 that envisaged close political, economic and military ties, but stopped short of creating a single state. The Kremlin, increasingly impatient about subsidizing Belarus' Soviet-style economy with cheap gas, has since proposed that Belarus be absorbed into Russia.
Lukashenko, who has vehemently opposed such a union, reiterated his stance during a 4 1/2-hour news conference Friday. "Even (Soviet dictator Josef) Stalin didn't go as far as that ... I don't want to be the first and the last Belarusian president," he said.
The president, who has sought to cast Belarus as an oasis of calm amid other ex-Soviet nations in turmoil, said its incorporation into Russia could trigger chaos and even fighting.
"As soon as Belarus becomes part of Russia, it'll be worse here than in Chechnya," he said. "We'll have people coming in from Georgia, from Russia, Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries. They are ready today to come with weapons."
Lukashenko has ruled this country of 10 million people with an iron fist since 1994, and was re-elected to a third term in a March vote that the opposition and Western nations denounced as fraudulent.
A pariah dubbed "Europe's last dictator" in the West, Lukashenko has relied on close economic and military ties with neighboring Russia.
His comments Friday signaled a new rift, however, as the two nations hold tense negotiations over efforts by Russia's state-controlled gas monopoly OAO Gazprom to increase gas prices fourfold.
The price increase would initially be offset by the acquisition of Belarusian industrial assets, in particular a 50-percent stake in national gas transport company Beltransgaz, Gazprom officials have said, noting that such an arrangement would give Minsk time to reconfigure its economy to better handle the higher gas prices within a few years.
Lukashenko slammed the proposed hike as a "clear break in all relations, particularly economic."
Belarus now buys its gas from Russia at US$46.68 (36.87) per 1,000 cubic meters. Gazprom wants to charge US$200 (158) per 1,000 cubic meters, company spokesman Igor Volobuyev said Friday. Economists warned that such a high increase could hobble Belarus' industries.
Lukashenko said he was not against the sale of the Beltransgaz shares, but insisted Gazprom should buy them at a fair market price — suggesting the gas giant was undervaluing the stake.
Lukashenko warned Russia "you will lose your last ally, you will simply disgrace yourselves" if the increase is put into effect. "Belarus has been offered a higher price than Germany — we will insist on the original price."
Late last year, Russia re-negotiated natural gas contracts with several former Soviet republics, bringing them closer to European prices, which have soared in line with record oil prices.
Russia's move to sharply increase gas prices for Ukraine in January was widely seen as politically motivated Kremlin pressure on Ukraine's new, Western-leaning government before March parliamentary elections.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/29/europe/EU_GEN_Belarus_Russia_Union.php
I've been concerned about the rebirth of the cold war as well. From the anti-aircraft missiles that Russia sent to Iran, to the rise of one leftist dictator after another in South America.
I was reading about the newest "elected" dictator in Ecquador, in the WSJ. I found it very interesting that the article labelled the US educated friend of Chavez, a "Liberal". The article went on to discuss the communist leader's economic philosophy as anti-free trade, in contrast to other US educated economists. Of course the US unions and socialists are also anti-free trade, but this is the first time that I have seen a columnist admit in print that the "Liberal" label is interchangeable with "Socialist" or "Communist".