BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
19/12/2010
Lukashenko wants to have excellent relations with RF, Georgia, EU
MINSK, December 19 (Itar-Tass) - Incumbent Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko voted at the presidential elections, then replied to questions by reporters.
The president stated that relations between Belarus and Russia would be excellent. "Relations with Russia were excellent, and they will be excellent," he noted.
"They will be at least good with the US," Lukashenko added.
Lukashenko stated that he is ready for cooperation with the European Union. "Everything will depend on how much the European Union wishes. If it wants to have good relations - You are welcome!" he continued. The president added at the same time that "we are ready for cooperation, but if the EU does not wish this, as in the past years, we cannot force it."
According to Lukashenko, if the European Union is not ready to cooperate now, "we are ready to wait".
Speaking of Belarussian-Georgian relations, Lukashenko said that "Belarus and Georgia have always had good relations; it is a friendly republic to us, and we shall not spoil relations with it".
Lukashenko turned down a report by the Wikileaks site that he had made any anti-Russian statements at a meeting with the Estonian foreign minister. Replying to a question by Itar-Tass, the Belarussian head of state said that "there was nothing like that; I have already repeatedly expressed my stand on Russia".
Lukashenko also noted, "As for foreign states, I assure that I'm very cautious and neat when I hold confidential talks". He stressed at the same time that it is necessary to pay attention to sources of such information. "I don't want to delve deep into this question, but there has been never anything like that," Lukashenko emphasised.
"Everything I said about Abkhazia and South Ossetia, I spoke honestly and openly," the Belarussian chief executive went on to say.
Lukashenko also refuted information by Wikileaks that his personal property hit nine billion US dollars.
Speaking of a possible unauthorised action by the Belarussian opposition on Sunday, the president assured that the authorities would act strictly within law. "Everything will be under the law, including insurance of security," the president said. "Don't worry nobody will be present in the square today."
Asked where and how he will wait for election results, Lukashenko noted that he intends to work on Sunday at his residence "with 15 kilos of documents after coming home". He also added that he intends "to make a skiing outing closer to the evening and will be engaged in clearing snow".
After working with documents, he will forward them to the president's office. "If there is information for me of the elections, I shall get it," he said.
If Lukashenko carried the elections, "all celebrations will be later", as he told reporters. "If you believe that everything ends with elections, this is not the case: life only starts with elections. If everything is okay, I shall start working on future tomorrow," the head of state emphasised.
Source:
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15795220&PageNum=0
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