Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are? Doesn’t work: look at Belarus. We are everyone’s friend.
One week Russian Prime Minister Putin is in Minsk, we welcomed EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner quickly after. Well it’s been not that easy recently but Belarus tries to develop relations with both big neighbours at the same time: EU and Russia. Mutually beneficial, sure.
Another success is a miraculous political stretch between Israel and Iran.
Some weeks ago the new Israeli FM Liberman came to shake hands with Belarusian authorities. He was the first Israeli minister in Minsk for a decade and both sides were satisfied with the talks. Today we got some more good news — this time from Tehran. Ahmadinejad meeting Belarusian senior parliamentary delegation suggested that Iran and Belarus should manage the world through cooperation. Wow… These shook hands middle in the post election fever with Belarusian representatives to praise the elections. And it’s all about mutually advantageous cooperation as well.
This foreign policy reminds me of no politics at all. It’s business as usual: tell me what you can give me and I’ll tell you what I am ready to do for this.
#1 by Yogi Bear on June 29, 2009 - 6:35 am
An interesting view into a world which we in the west cannot appreciate, the distance and language barriers making it a greater reach to grasp even a little of what is happening there.
But now that I have found your column I can begin to be more informed about it.
One hopes in the current capitalist climate in the RF and with the EU as the other player in this game, that Belarus benefits in some way to a more prosperous future.
But as some of your excellent contributions here help elucidate, it may take some time for these changes to take effect.
In the mean time, it is more than troubling to learn of the unnecessary hurdles in visa travel for Belorussians into the EU, indeed were the requirements but a fraction of the sums you report, they would still be out of the reach of most.
Perhaps reform of the market system might open new doors through which prosperity could enter?
#2 by Maryna Rakhlei on June 30, 2009 - 11:20 am
Yogi Bear!
Oh, market reforms, yes, please. But no resources and not enough interest in these at the moment: not enough money and experts. We are getting loans from IMF and Russia, applied for EU macro-financial assistance… But they are mostly used to stabilise Belarusian rouble. Reforms should have taken place during the quiet times.
And – thank you for your interest. We are in the same boat, not just in the same world.
#3 by Joe Noory on October 19, 2009 - 7:53 pm
Why would anyone want a pair of elites whose instincta are inherently autocratic and incapable of understanding the meaning of free will ‘running the world’ which by nature means controlling the other 6 billion people on earth?
Just words, just a story, just a game. That’s all their stunts are.
#4 by pol on December 4, 2009 - 5:31 pm
Every advocate of Iran in Europe is needed today badly. Mainstream perception is already hijacked by US-Zionist party. And that basically boils down to propaganda. Looking for next ludicrous “evidence” to attack Iran is blatant warmongering, that needs to be defied.
We should remember that less than year ago Isreal killed 1400 Palestines in cold blood.
#5 by Maryna Rakhlei on December 8, 2009 - 11:02 am
That’s why you are here.