Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has mentioned the impossibility of the process of integration with Russia, if it contradicts the fundamental law of the Republic of Belarus. He called independence and sovereignty the main values for Minsk.
Lukashenko once again said that the integration with the Russian Federation is possible only on the terms that do not contradict the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus. If any of the documents proposed for signing does not comply with the constitutional law of Belarus, it will be unconditionally rejected by Minsk. As stated in the Constitution, the key values of the country are independence and sovereignty, Vedomosti cited Lukashenko as saying. The President has also made critical remarks on the prospects for establishing a trade union with Russia. Russia maintains the moratorium on the supply of certain products from Belarus, which results in annual losses of about $9 billion. The trade war, similar to the one between the U.S. and China, is definitely impossible but Moscow’s position can hardly be called correct, said Lukashenko. He recalled that economic development is the primary reason for establishment of interstate associations and integration is. However, in case of Russia and Belarus, the process is limited to some annual additional requirements and conditions leading to more and more economic losses. There is no proof of such cooperation, said the Belorussian President. According to Lukashenko, he has set out his position to the Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two countries have friendly relationships, so the claims are made very toughly, said Lukashenko. In his opinion, removing the barriers in trade with Russia would allow exporters to enter new markets, and the country would enrich itself. But so far, the Union State of Russia and Belarus has only caused losses. For this reason, the priority of Minsk is creating equal terms of trade. Lukashenko concluded that the $9 billion making Belarus into a “sponger” is possible to earn in Russia after breaking down the barriers. The Belarusian President believes that talking about the signing of a new “road map” of integration will make sense only after the settlement of disputes regarding the supply of oil and gas, as well as the admittance of all Belorussian goods to the Russian market. Minsk will seek equal conditions for its companies, and Lukashenko is as patriotic of his own country as Russia's top officials are of theirs, pointed out Lukashenko. In his comments on the military and political aspects of the Russian-Belarusian union, Lukashenko excluded an attack on Poland from the territory of Belarus, RBC says. Any tank march on the neighboring country is entirely out of the question. According to Lukashenko, Minsk has always aimed at friendly relationships with Warsaw. But the interstate cooperation was reduced to zero after the Polish authorities had embarked on a policy in the interests of Washington and Brussels. The West should not give the wrong idea to Poland that Russia and Belarus have formed an alliance to attack it. Such a scenario is impossible, the President of Belarus added. Lukashenko considers it a wrong decision of the Polish leadership not to include Putin in the list of world leaders who received invitations to memorial events on the occasion of the eightieth anniversary since the beginning of World War II. By not inviting the President of the Russian Federation, Warsaw made a huge mistake, as the Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples have made a major contribution to the liberation of the Poles. As for his non-participation in the memorial events that were held place in September, Lukashenko assured that it had no political reasons. He added that any speculations around such anniversaries are unacceptable. Lukashenko also claimed that he will run again for presidency and that he is ready to accept any choice of the citizens. If the majority of Belarusians vote for another candidate, the shift of power will take place. Lukashenko assured that he has no intentions to hold the post of President by all means. If the voters are satisfied with the current president, they will cast their votes for him for the next five years. Belarus is not a prosperous country because of a lack of natural resources. However, its residents are able to improve the standard of living with their own efforts, Lukashenko summed up, calling to wait until 2025, when the next presidential elections is be held. The new tenure will be the sixth consecutive one for Lukashenko, who has been at the helm of Belarus since 1994. This is allowed by the country’s Constitution.