During the tenure of the Verkhovna Rada of the VIII convocation, cooperation at the level of parliaments of Belarus and Ukraine frozen. Two and a half years no Belarusian parliamentarians never visit Kiev or the Ukrainian people’s deputies did not go to Minsk. About this, commenting on the current visit of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to Ukraine, told “Today,” the MP from NF, co-chair of the group on Interparliamentary relations with Belarus Alexander Kodola.
“I run a group on Interparliamentary relations with Latvia and in parallel co-chair of the group on relations with Belarus. With Latvia, we have a hundred times more contacts have their results, there is economic and political cooperation. At the level of cities and local governments have already established ties with the Latvian cities. Latvia, although a small country, but gives us very great help. With Belarus, unfortunately, at the parliamentary level of cooperation we have in fact. No cooperation with the Embassy of Belarus in Ukraine. This is just proof of how they are positioned for such cooperation. We have not had a single meeting. We made contact with the Embassy, changed the Ambassador of Belarus where, a year and a half ago. Once was the Ambassador’s visit to Chernigov, where I was present. But the inter-parliamentary cooperation at all. Nor their parliamentary delegation did not come to us nor we to them did not go. If to speak about Latvia, then we have at least four mutual visits, the two to us, two we, plus many more joint activities,” – said the MP.
Commenting on the course of today’s negotiations of presidents of Ukraine and Belarus, Alexander Kodola notes that the agenda will prevail the theme of security. “Belarus largely depends on Russia both economically and politically. Iconic and striking was the vote of Belarus for the UN resolution (on the Crimea in November of 2016 – Ed. Also we can not disturb the possible consequences of the border with Ukraine in September this year just a large-scale joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises. We are very pleased that there is such a statement of the President of Belarus, but at the same time, we are other than statements or just words need real action of such friendship. Yet friendship is with our enemy-as the aggressor. I think that security issues are the main meeting of the presidents. And not so much those relating to the Minsk process, but in General security in the whole Eastern European region. In particular, in the context of the confrontation between the Union state of Russia and Belarus, I mean the North Atlantic Alliance – NATO”, – said the Deputy.
According to him, Ukraine understands that Lukashenka, despite attempts to unfreeze contacts with Europe that he in a certain way have managed after a of meetings in Minsk and attempts to protect their own political and economic interests, the policy aimed at the preservation of the regime, which was established during his reign. What methods are used for this, says Alexander Kodola, we saw in March, when in Minsk and other cities were arrested hundreds of peaceful protesters-demonstrators.
We will remind, the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has assured Petro Poroshenko, that no one will be able to involve Belarus in the war against Ukraine.
