English

Milinkevich praises head of Presidential Administration as well-educated, Europeanized man

Former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich praised Uladzimir Makey, head of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s Presidential Administration, as a “well-educated and Europeanized man.”

He does not have a complex about Europe unlike other government officials, Mr. Milinkevich said in an interview with BelaPAN following his informal meeting with Mr. Makey on the sidelines of the 11th Minsk Forum on Thursday.

“I told him about our strategy and said that I view the situation in Belarus as very difficult, above all in the economic sphere,” Mr. Milinkevich said. “I insisted that if no attempts are made to modernize the economy, Belarus will find itself in full dependence on Russia, which is not in the interests of both the government and the opposition and the people of Belarus.”

“We should combine our efforts where possible in order to defend the independence of our country,” Mr. Milinkevich said. “We may have different strategic views about the future of Belarus. We are sure to remain opponents. But it is very important that the elite in power and the counter-elite should reach a mutual understanding when it is about the fate of the nation.”

According to Mr. Milinkevich, the head of the Presidential Administration was “diplomatically reserved.” “I spoke more than he did, but he seemed to be well-informed about everything,” Mr. Milinkevich said. “I know that people within government circles are discussing the possibility of cooperation with the opposition in certain areas. We have long been suggesting that a domestic dialogue should be established. But I’m a pragmatist. At present the opposition has no opportunity to be a third party in talks between Europe and the Belarusian authorities. But we are indirectly involved in the negotiating process, as Europe consults us about various matters. The authorities don’t do this yet. For the time being, preparations are under way for such a dialogue. I think it will eventually begin.”

Mr. Milinkevich noted that Belarus would have to go through a very complicated step-by-step process for the normalization of its relations with the European Union, and that a dialogue between the government and opposition forces would help Minsk carry out the EU’s recommendations for democratic change in the country. “It will be helpful not because we are smarter but because we have a different point of view,” Mr. Milinkevich said. “We should be united by the idea that we live in one country whose independence is not negotiable.”
Uladzimir Makey, formerly a presidential aide, was appointed head of the Presidential Administration on July 15. He was born in the Hrodna region on August 5, 1958. In 1980, he graduated from the Minsk State Teachers’ Training Institute of Foreign Languages (currently Minsk Linguistic University). He served with the USSR Armed Forces between 1980 and 1992. He received training at the Diplomacy Academy in Vienna in 1992-93. He speaks English and German, and holds the military rank of colonel in the reserve.

Mr. Makey served at the foreign ministry from 1993 through 2000, being Belarus’ representative to the Council of Europe and counselor at the Belarusian embassy in France between 1996 and 1999, and head of the ministry’s Pan-European Cooperation department in 1999 and 2000. In March 2000, he was appointed presidential aide.