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Lukashenka reiterates his commitment to close ties with Russia

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has reiterated his commitment to strong ties with Russia, saying that the neighboring country remains Belarus' closest ally.

"Let's look at any aspect – diplomacy, politics or economy; we don't have more advanced relations in the spheres with any other country except Russia," the Belarusian leader's press office quoted him as telling reporters upon his arrival in Lithuania on Tuesday. "We are the closest allies."

Mr. Lukashenka denied that Belarus is trying to mend ties with the West because of problems in its relations with Russia. Such beliefs are a sign of little knowledge of Minsk's relations with Russia and the European Union, he said.

He said that some conflicts with the neighboring country had had no good reason. "We have survived many such conflicts," he said. "They are surely hyperbolized. They say that Lukashenka has turned to the West, forcing Russia to treat him like that. Nothing of the kind took place! There are sophisticated internal political configurations in Russia and undercurrents appear there now and then, surfacing sometimes so unexpectedly that even the Russian leadership fails to notice them in good time. So, you shouldn't think that we have bad relations with Russia."

Commenting on Belarus' ongoing dialogue with the European Union, Mr. Lukashenka said that Belarus has always wanted to have good relations with European countries. "We are not turning anywhere; Europe has simply paid attention to Belarus," he said. "We can't be fixed on one country that is close to us. There is one more factor: Europe where Belarus is its center. How can Europe exist without Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine or Poland as a conglomerate of the kind? It cannot."

Mr. Lukashenka stressed that he did not want to quarrel with the European Union and see "again those dividing lines here." "We don't want to be a barrier between the East and the West," he said. "I wish we had nice relations with Russia and China and other countries and Europe. We are not located on the outskirts. We are at a crossroads. We are in a situation that forces us to have good relations with Europe." //BelaPAN