BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Belarus aims to come in from cold

Lukashenko will need a visa ban lifting before he can talk further with the EU [AP]

The president of Belarus has said he is willing to learn from the West, in what could be a change of tack after an energy row with the country's closest ally, Russia.

In an interview with Die Welt newspaper on Thursday, Alexander Lukashenko urged Germany to show more interest in his politically isolated country during its presidency of the EU.

"Chancellor Angela Merkel as EU president should develop more of an interest in Belarus. We want to be willing pupils. I want Belarus to look like Germany or Sweden one day," he was quoted as telling the German newspaper.

"Until now the West has constantly kicked us in the back. Now the time has come to weigh new possibilities for cooperation. Let's start an open, honest dialogue."

Since gaining independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarus has pursued a pro-Russian foreign policy, closing aligning itself with Moscow.

European nations have strongly criticised Belarus for its weak democracy, statist economy and limits of freedom of speech, and have taken measures intended to encourage the country to reform.

'Last dictatorship'

Belarus is one of the only European states that has not gained admission to the 46-nation Council of Europe, which describes itself as a defender of human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law.

Lukashenko and other senior government officials have also been subject to a visa ban in the EU since last March after what was seen in the West as rigged presidential elections.

The US has previously described Belarus as Europe's "last dictatorship".

Lukashenko's apparent willingness to now come in from the diplomatic cold and engage with the EU comes after chairman of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, Rene van der Linden, said on a visit to Minsk last week that the ex-Soviet republic should do just that.

"I want Belarus to look like Germany or Sweden one day"

Alexander Lukashenko

It also comes after a major dispute with its staunchest ally, Russia, which has helped maintain Lukashenko's 12-year grip on power.

But after years of handouts from Moscow the two neighbours fell out recently over gas supplies.

Lukashenko, unhappy that Russia was cutting cheap energy supplies to Belarus, introduced transit duty on Russian oil flowing to Europe across his territory.

Economic damage

Russia responded by turning off the pipeline through Belarus, disrupting supplies to some EU countries.

The dispute was resolved with Lukashenko forced to accept a twofold rise in the price of gas his country imports from Russia and an end to tax-free imports of Russian oil, both of which are big blows for the Belarus economy.

Kremlin officials say they suspect Lukashenko may now try to court the EU in the hope it can bail out his economy.

However the president said it was up to the EU to make the first move in any future dialogue.

"The West should begin by lifting the practically medieval ban on Belarussian politicians traveling to Europe. We can't shout at each other across a fence," he said.

Source:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B94710A3-083C-4299-9CE7-EF901A4C5FED.htm

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