MINSK, 1 October (BelTA) – Belarus pursues a balanced foreign policy and is not going to be friends with anyone to the detriment of Russia or against Russia, Belarus Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said in an interview with the RBC information agency. The text of the interview was posted on the website of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BelTA has learned.
Journalists asked how in Vladimir Makei's view Russia perceives the ongoing rapprochement between Belarus and the United States of America and efforts to build closer relations with the European Union. Vladimir Makei responded: “Judging from the statements made by individual politicians in Russia, the perception varies. However, we have always said and will keep saying that we are not going to be friends with anyone to the detriment of Russia or against Russia. Our president has recently reiterated it again.”
“I do not think that Russian authorities are jealous because Belarus is trying to mend ties with the USA. In my view, Russia and the United States have much more advanced relations, including institutional ones; meetings at the highest level take place regularly. There is no reason to say that Belarus is veering to the West or somewhere else. We will not run away from the place where we are now,” the minister said.
“Our relations with the West are not that advanced as the relations between the West and Russia. Russia maintains much more active contacts with the USA and the European Union; there are appropriate institutional structures like the councils for cooperation between Russia and the EU and Russia and NATO. Therefore, we do not understand the reaction of some unintelligent and incompetent, to put it mildly, politicians and MPs in Russia to our readiness to sign the visa facilitation agreement and the readmission agreement with the European Union. You know, as far as I remember, Russia signed this agreement with the European Union back in 2006. And when some Russian MPs say that the very fact that Belarus is ready to sign these agreements today is an unfriendly and hostile act against Russia, it is not just bewildering; I cannot even find words to describe this kind of statements,” Vladimir Makei said.
“Let me say once again, Belarus is not going to leave. It is impossible to take the entire country and move it to the West or to North America. We live in our territory, we live in the center of Europe, we will stay here, however, we proceed from the fact that we should have balanced relations with everyone in the world. At the same time there is no denying that the Russian Federation is of particular importance for us, that it is the biggest and most important partner of Belarus in politics, trade, economy and other fields,” the minister said.
