“We remain, as always, committed to real integration without forcing integration (new term appeared in the Union – “coercion to integration”). And it is strange that it started with the forcing of integration of Belarus”, – said the Belarusian President at the meeting with Chairman of the Eurasian economic Commission of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich

The press service of the President of the Republic of Belarus

Negotiations of Vladimir Putin with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, 7 Feb 2020

The press service of the President of Russia

The government of Belarus has always supported integration with Russia, but under condition of preservation of sovereignty and independence, said on 27 February President Alexander Lukashenko. The words of the head of state leads his press service.

“We remain, as always, committed to real integration without forcing integration (new term appeared in the Union – “coercion to integration”). And it is strange that it started with the forcing of integration of Belarus”, – said the Belarusian President at the meeting with Chairman of the Eurasian economic Commission of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich (previously held the posts of head of the presidential administration of Belarus, the Prime Minister and the President of the Council of the Republic).

Lukashenka reminded that together with Russian President Boris Yeltsin initiated the integration “of the economies, lives and so forth.” However, in the future, according to him, Russia’s position has changed.

“We do not say that someone must lose sovereignty and independence. Despite all the difficulties in those times we have found solutions to complex issues. When rich, especially Russia, began a strange bustle and fuss. And, as I said, the compulsion to integration,” – said Lukashenko.

In his opinion, the Union is built in order to create equal conditions for companies, businesses and people. “But since then, they began the construction of the Union, we are increasingly moving away from these equal conditions. Moreover, be incomprehensible demands and coercion, monopolism,” added the Belarusian leader.

With the “compulsion to integration,” Lukashenko, in particular, have compared Russia’s proposal to supply natural gas at a price of 127 dollars per thousand cubic meters. “The exchange today is already below $ 100 is trading gas. Is that normal? Is that a compulsion to integrate?” – said the Belarusian President.

According to him, Poland now receives American gas (which should be turned into a liquid state and to bring to Europe, to rehabilitierung and the pipe supply) for $ 90.

Lukashenko also complained that the Russian government “in their own way interpret” the agreement, which was achieved with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “No normal rules. The law of force to tilt to get. This is not normal. And the media is taking every day attack: Lukashenko wants something. Yes, I do not want anything except what we agreed”, – said the President.

The Belarusian leader, according to him, is not against the “fundamental integration” in the framework of the Eurasian economic Union (EEU), but “no need to puff each other’s brains”. “We do not have a single industrial and agricultural policy. Absolutely not. Instead to negotiate and work, and thereby to unite, to set an example of those who have not joined our Union, we had some rigmarole and fuss, reaching to the massacre. Who will want such a Union to join, if we are not able to figure it out – three States that created this Union (Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. – Approx. NEWSru.com), and accession of Kyrgyzstan and Armenia” – said Lukashenko.

He assured that Belarus is “not asking something of its main ally,” that is Russia. “We are able to earn more to give, as it was in Soviet times. Belarus always more to give to the Federal budget than there has received. And we’re ready today in this area, but it must be fundamentally honest,” summed up Alexander Lukashenko.

In mid-February, Lukashenko said that the Russian leadership hinted that in exchange for the installation of a single energy prices, Belarus would have become part of, RBC.

Vladimir Putin at a big press conference at the end of 2019, said that “Russian and Belarusian people – it’s almost the same” and expressed his joy over the rapprochement with Belarus. The Russian leader also noted the need to expedite the establishment of the Union state, including through the creation of supranational bodies, noting that to address this issue “to subsidize the entire Belarusian economy”, reducing energy prices would be “weird”.

In February 2020, Bloomberg with reference to sources in the Kremlin reported that Putin tried to convince Lukashenka of the need to create a “superpower” of the two countries. In the Kremlin, the Agency denied.