Belarus has never pursued selfish interests by developing the Customs Union and integrating into the Union State - A. Lukashenko
22/07/20100 views
On July 22, Minsk / Vladimir Matveev - BELTA /. Belarus has never pursued selfish interests in developing the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan and in pursuing integration, including in the Union State. This was stated today by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Customs Union Commission Sergey Glazyev, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
According to the head of state, the Belarusian side is not to blame for the fact that "things are not going well, to put it mildly, in our Union of Belarus and Russia." "We do not have and have not had the resources to slow down the Union of Belarus and Russia. It was created in general to set an example, but it turns out the opposite. Therefore, if there is an opportunity to advance in some other integration formations, Belarus will never hinder this," Alexander Lukashenko said.
At the same time, the President noted that the Belarusian side will proceed, including from its national interests, while other states prioritize only their national interests. "When they openly begin to demonstrate to us that we are on the]; the]; bench, we do not agree with this approach and, as far as possible, so as not to slow down these processes, we are fighting against it," the Belarusian leader noted. "If we see that this is absolutely unacceptable for us, we will look for other ways."
Alexander Lukashenko stressed that the Belarusian side absolutely does not intend to slow down the processes that have begun, however, strictly observing the agreements reached, it will demand the same from its partners. Commenting on the earlier rhetoric that if Belarus does not join the Customs Union, "we will bend you here," Alexander Lukashenko said: "How can you bend us if we have gone too far with Russia in this regard and there are relevant agreements. How can you build a border between Belarus and Russia? Then all the agreements we have must be denounced."
In conclusion, the head of state once again noted that to date, the Customs Union of Belarus has not brought significant benefits, nor harm. "We are working, being in a state of anticipation, for things to get better," the Belarusian leader added.
In turn, Sergey Glazyev informed the head of the Belarusian state about the process of forming the Customs Union. According to him, a significant effect from this integration association can be expected in the future. Thus, it is expected that within five years, the GDP growth in the Customs Union will be about 15%. At the same time, enterprises involved in production cooperation will receive particular benefit, according to him. "Of course, the transition period is not without its rough patches, but overall, the process has entered a firm track," noted Sergey Glazyev.
BELTA