MINSK, 19 December (BelTA) – The protests against Belarus-Russia integration are a purely political process and they have nothing to do with cooperation between the two states, Chairman of the Standing Commission on International Affairs of the House of Representatives Andrei Savinykh has told the ONT TV channel, BelTA has learned.
“Those who take to the streets to protest against it know nothing about integration and the things that are going on. This is a purely political process that pursues absolutely different goals and objectives,” Andrei Savinykh said.
He dismissed speculations around a possibility to join the EU as idle talk. “We constantly hear two alternatives – it is either the Eurasian Economic Union or the European Union. There is no choice here in reality. We are not welcome in the EU; more than that, the EU puts forward such conditions to periphery countries we will never agree to,” Andrei Savinykh said.
Analyst at the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research (BISR) Valentin Starichenok cited findings of a recent opinion poll held by an independent company. Respondents were asked to name three most friendly states. Russia topped the list followed by Ukraine and China. “In other words, Russia ranks very high,” the political analyst said.