The whole week-end is the first ever Milk Festival in Minsk. A logical choice after a week of cold milk war between Belarus and Russia.

Any ministry could be used as a foreign policy instrument in any country. This time Russia’s federal consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor banned the import of some 1.000 titles of Belarusian dairy products. Almost all Belarusian dairy products have been placed onto ban list as they don’t have the necessary permits in accordance with Russia’s food standards in effect since December 2008. Now just three Belarusian companies are allowed to deliver dairy products to Russia.

Right, the necessary permits. But the scandal is bigger and started as Russian Finance Minister Kudrin questioned Belarus` worthiness of getting a $500-million loan from Russia.

In return Mr. Lukashenka questioned his mental health. Then he invited Russian journalists to express his point of view on the situation, but only four dared to come. They could publish some fascinating stuff: for e.g., that Moscow blackmails Belarus with this loan over Abkhazia and South Ossetia recognition.  And that Russian oligarchs wanted to buy Belarusian dairy factories for a mere song.

During the same days Belarus reaches an agreement with IMF to increase its loan by $1 billion. It looked like: hello, Moscow, you are no fun any more, the West has better loan conditions anyway!

But no comments followed from either side.

Meanwhile Belarusian exporters process their stocks of milk into butter and freeze it. And organise festivals in hope that the capitals will solve all the problems and open up the Milky Way to the huge neighbouring market.

And everyone understands that economically we can’t do without Russia. Russia knows that it needs Belarus. We are doomed to be together, as Lukashenka once put it.

Oh, Lord, life would be so much easier if people could take it easier and be more diplomatic and polite…