MINSK, 23 November (BelTA) – Calls for economic sanctions are not just a big nonsense. They pose a great threat to the statehood of Belarus, Belarus' Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said in an interview to the Belarus 1 TV channel on 17 November, BelTA has learned.
“You know, it's a paradoxical situation. Initially, these opponents, who are now living abroad, said that they were in favor of tougher personal sanctions, but in no way they supported economic sanctions. Now we hear a revolutionary rhetoric: ‘Impose sanctions. The tougher the better.' Before that, they said that they would try to make sure that no damage is done to people, ordinary people. Today, they are forgetting about the people, an ordinary person,” the minister noted.
In this regard, Vladimir Makei recalled the 1990s, when he worked as a representative of the country in the Council of Europe and when representatives of various political forces came there, to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. “Some figures from Belarus poured dirt on their people, on their country. Even Europeans approached me saying that you cannot do so, you have to think somehow how to build the future of the country, the future of the people, and not just engage in whipping and slinging mud on each other,” the minister said.
“I'm not saying everything is perfect, that everything is top-notch in the country. I am also for changes, but not for changes through a revolution, through street pressure, blackmail, threats and so on and so forth. My deep conviction is that a revolution always brings death, blood and tears. ‘Let's kill these, let's stigmatize those' and so on. Ok, you have disgraced these people. But do you care about the state, which should withstand in this turbulent situation. Do you care about the people, or you think that the revolution brings only good? The revolution will bring only chaos and anarchy. And this chaos and anarchy will destroy both the state and the society. We're going to have to really start from scratch," the minister believes.
“These calls for economic sanctions, as I see it, are not just a big mistake but a great threat to the statehood of Belarus in general. If someone thinks that such steps will bring good, they are deeply mistaken. Of course, we will be discussing these issues with our Western partners. I believe there is understanding there on whether it is worth taking such measures - imposing economic sanctions against Belarus,” the minister said.
