BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Monday, June 13, 2005

Georgia-Belarus relations hit new low over visa row

By M. Alkhazashvili

Georgian MPs reacted indignantly late last week to reports in the Russian media on June 9 that the Belarussian government had imposed a special visa regime for Georgian citizens, reports that were categorically denied in Belarus.

The storm in a teacup followed reports in the Russian media on Thursday citing Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko's press service as stating that the president had personally ordered that a new visa regime be introduced to prevent Georgian criminals and illegal immigrants from infiltrating Russia via Belarus.

Belarussian officials were quick to state that no such decision had in fact been taken, although Foreign Minister Sergei Martinov admitted that the issue was under consideration.

Martinov said in an interview with the Belarussian state TV channel on June 10 that Lukashenko's decision on possible enforcement of visa requirements with Georgia was triggered by the threat of, as he put it, arrival of "revolutionary fighters" in Belarus from Georgia.

"The decision of the President was triggered by objective and understandable facts: it is not a secret that President Saakashvili, as well as the Georgian Parliament have made statements and also have decided to dispatch 'revolutionary' fighters [to Belarus], which will, naturally, be followed by criminal elements. We know about this [scenario] from the experience of other countries," the Belarus Foreign Minister said as translated by Civil.ge.

"What is the purpose of dispatching these "revolutionary" fighters to Belarus?" he asked. "To foster calm, dignified and prosperous life of the Belarus people? Definitely not. Apparently there are other reasons."

"Must the President [of Belarus], as the guarantor of the country's stability, defend the state from the raids of this kind? Of course he must. That is why, the President instructed the Foreign Ministry and the law enforcement agencies to look into the situation once again and if there is no change in the Georgian leadership's policy over dispatching here 'extremists' of instability, we will, possibly, recommend the President of Belarus to impose visa requirements with this country," Martinov said in the interview which is available at his ministry's website in Russian.

In Georgia, parliamentarians reacted angrily, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Kote Gabashvili initiating a special draft resolution labeling Lukashenko as a dictator and his decision as inappropriate. "If Lukashenko thinks that he can stop revolutions by such steps he is very much mistaken. There will be revolutions as democratic processes cannot be reversed," he said, as quoted by Rezonansi.

Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze labeled the latest move of the Belarussian administration as symbolic of its death knell. She proposed that Lukashenko be declared a persona non-gratis in Georgia, adding, however, that no other Belarussians should face obstacles in entering Georgia.

Chair of the parliamentary committee for European integration David Bakradze, meanwhile, explained away the reported decision of the president as the result of fear of revolution in the country.

"Lukashenko wants to control the situation in the country and all individuals who enter it. We don't have anything against the people of Belarus; we have great sympathy towards them and hope that they will soon be able to free themselves from this regime which is fairly called the last dictatorial regime in Europe," Rezonansi quotes him as saying.

Former MP Demur Georkhelidze commented that such a visa regime would have little impact on Georgia, as while Russia remains Georgia's leading economic partner, Belarus is not a major economic partner and few Georgian businesses are currently active in the country.

While officials in Minsk stress that no such visa regime has yet been put in place, in Georgia Parliament is to discuss a resolution responding to the situation on Tuesday.

Source:

http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/0880_june_13_2005/economy_0880_1.htm