LUKASHENKA READY TO SEND BELARUSIANS TO DIE FOR PUTIN AND MEDVEDEV

Charter 97
12 August 2009, Wed

Politics

In return, the Belarusian leader asks to let him enter the Russian
market and not to sell energy resources at unreasonable prices.

Belarus would approach the issue of signing the agreement on creation
of the Collective Operational Reaction Forces (CORF) in the framework
of the CSTO from the point of view of its expediency for the country,
Alyaksandr Lukashenka said, visiting Nyasvizh district on August 11,
Interfax informs.

"As for signing the documents, we will certainly sign them if it
would be beneficial," Lukashenka underlined, underscoring that "it
is our right".

At the same time, he underlined that "there is nothing bad in
them", emphasizing that the document on creation of the CORF is a
framework agreement. He explained that it envisages that "we would
have military units, which could be sent into this or that spot,
after a common decision, but if I would be against, nobody would send
them (Belarusian units) anywhere; if Russia would be against, their
troops won’t be sent anywhere either". "It is a framework decision,
and it does absolutely no harm to our state," Lukashenka underlined.

He has also added that Belarus is not going to demonstrate any kind
of unsportsmanlike attitude towards its allies in the CSTO. "We have
a normal position in the CSTO," A. Lukashenka underlined.

"Everybody understands that there is no CSTO without Belarus, and
it’s impossible in the future, so there are worries that Belarus has
departed from this policy," A. Lukashenka continued.

However, Lukashenka underlined that "we do not want to have an
argument with anybody, we want to be at peace both with the East and
the West". "The fact that I didn’t come to the CSTO summit in Moscow,
does not mean we are against integration processes, including the
ones in the military and political sphere," A. Lukashenka underlined.

He also refuted the reports of Russian mass media that at the informal
CSTO summit in Kyrgyzstan pressure was exerted no Belarus for it
to sign the CORF agreement and take the seat of the CSTO presiding
country. "There was no blackmailing and pressure," Lukashenka stated
and added that he was asked about plans of Belarus on these topics. As
said by Lukashenka, he answered that as the leader of the state he
is the right to take decisions.

Yet, the Belarusian leader added that at the informal summit he asked
his colleagues a counter-question: "Tell me what should I defend
in your countries and what my guys should die for? For Russia’s
not allowing Belarus entering its market? Or for our buying energy
resources from Russia and Kazakhstan at crazy prices?" "Nobody
tried to put pressure on me, there were questions certainly, and
there was my harsh statement: if we are going to die for each other,
let us not bulldoze each other, let us live like in a single state,"
Lukashenka continued.

Earlier "Kommersant" informed that at the informal CSTO summit in
Kyrgyzstan Lukashenka promised not only to sign the CORF agreement
at the earliest opportunity, but also to take the seat of the CSTO
chairman, which Minsk was to take during the June summit in Moscow.

In the near future Alyaksandr Lukashenka would have a chance to fulfill
his promises. In August in Kazakhstan the first military exercises
of the CORF are to start. They are to last till middle autumn. The
CSTO presidents are planning to observe their active phase which is
to start on September 14, personally.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization’s members are Russia,
Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Armenia.

Independent experts are convinced that the CORF is being created
primarily for crack down on civil disturbance by democratic opposition
in the countries of the CSTO.