Valery Karbalevich: "The very model of Belarus-Russia relations involves the constant scandals and conflicts"



Belarusian television has made another attack towards the Russian authorities. Does Belarusian side need new information war with Russia? What is the purpose of such attacks? Can Belarus-Russia relations develop without recrimination against each other? The reporter of Euramost.org is talking to political analyst Valery Karbalevich.



State "First National" TV channel in Belarus in today's evening edition of "In the Limelight" spoke about the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev. Russian president recently said that he invited Alexander Lukashenko to Moscow for the events on June 22. Anchorman commented on the invitation: "These are stupid and hypocritical passages about the invitation to Moscow. It would be better not invited". Further the author of the program accused Russian colleagues of the unwillingness to cover commemorative events in Brest, in which the President Alexander Lukashenko took part. Let’s remind you that on June 22, Lukashenko told reporters he did not know why Medvedev has not arrived in Brest. "Yes, I invited my colleague from Russia to come here, to Brest. This is - the extreme point of our common homeland. 70 years from the date of the beginning of the war – is a normal excuse to demonstrate Russians and Belarusians now as it was then, and that we were together, that we share a common memory, and that we'll always be together", - said Lukashenko. – Thinking of this, I invited my Russian colleague to visit in Brest this day. Why didn’t he come? This question should be addressed to him ". However, as reported by RIA" Novosti”, quoting a source in the Kremlin, in his turn, Medvedev invited Lukashenko on June 22 to come to Moscow. The source reported that not only Yeltsin and Putin, but also President Medvedev has visited Belarus in the Memorial Day on June 22 in 2008, so this year he invited his counterpart to Moscow. So in its turn the Kremlin recommended to appeal to the Belarusian side for the answer to the question why Alexander Lukashenko did not use the invitation. - I connect another Russia-Belarus informational confrontation with the fact that Russia has a strong pressure to ensure that Belarus would make concessions in the area of privatization in favor of Russian companies - said Valery Karbalevich. - Here we are talking about sale of assets "Belaruskali" and "Beltransgaz", and MAZ... Maybe "behind closed doors" there are negotiations about other enterprises. The Belarusian side seemed to agree with it because it needed money and new loans. The first tranche of $ 800 million dollars has been received. But selling the companies on Russian conditions is not desirable. And it resulted backstage strife, which grew into the public rivalry. Moreover, the reason for this was found - the refusal of Dmitry Medvedev to arrive in Brest. Counter-information attack followed. I think that it is connected with this aspect. - The Kremlin does not respond to these attacks so far ... - The Kremlin is silent, but some Russian media can answer Belarus with some information volleys. Russian mass media doesn’t pet Belarusian authorities in recent years. I am afraid, on the whole, that these disputes may lead to the next tranche, which is expected to fall, may be delayed. - Perhaps it's a kind of message to Europe: is not all right with Russia, we would like to make friends and get money from the West? - Nothing can be ruled out. Maybe by criticizing Russia Belarus wants to push the West into granting a loan out of geopolitical considerations. Although, one problem remains here - the political prisoners. - In general, can Belarus and Russia exist without the scandals and accusations? - In the framework of the Union State model, which was formed recently, the Belarusian-Russian relations can’t develop without scandals. The model itself involves such conflicts. Viktor Pavlov.