BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

21.04.2005 - 17:49 CET

Rice condemns Belarus as 'last true dictatorship'

By Lucia Kubosova

Moscow and Minsk reacted angrily to statements by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, calling for regime change in Belarus, ahead of a NATO meeting in Lithuania, starting on Thursday (21 April).

Ms Rice suggested it would be better for ex-Soviet republics to "throw off the yoke of tyranny."

"I would hope that particularly in Belarus, which is really the last remaining true dictatorship in the heart of Europe, that you would begin to see some democratic development", Rice said in an interview with CNN.

Minsk reacted angrily to the comments.

It is the Belarusian people who "choose" their government and "decide their future, not Condoleezza Rice", Viktor GaIssionak, a Belarusian deputy Foreign Minister was quoted as saying by AFP.

"We are not just pawns in a game, or pawns on a chess board", he added.

Moscow rejects US and EU pressure

Russian authorities also voiced their concern over Ms Rice's remarks, despite an overall celebrative atmoshere following today's signing of - what is considered to be a milestone - a cooperation agreement with NATO.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists in Vilnius that Moscow rejects pressure from both the United States and the EU towards Belarus and other ex-Soviet countries.

He pointed out that the process of democracy cannot be imposed from outside.

The EU recently issued a strong statement condemning the Belarusian government, arguing that its member states could not allow a country on its borders to continue "languishing in dictatorship."

Belarus is currently pending possible entry into the EU's Neighbourhood Policy.

However, cooperation between Minsk and Brussels has been put on hold due to the EU's concerns regarding Belarus' political climate.

Source:

http://www.euobserver.com/?sid=24&aid=18907