BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

17/06/2009

Russia Ends Ban on Belarus Dairy Goods

By CLIFFORD J. LEVY

MOSCOW - Russia and Belarus, formally fraternal neighbors that have been increasingly quarreling, sought on Wednesday to reduce tensions by taking steps to end a budding trade war.

A senior Russian official announced in Moscow that Russia would begin allowing imports of dairy products from Belarus on Thursday, less than two weeks week after prohibiting them.

The ban was supposedly initiated over health and regulatory matters, but Russia has often used such trade barriers as a weapon in broader geopolitical disputes.

While the immediate trade issue seemed settled, many differences remain. In fact, Gazprom, the Russian gas monopoly, opened a new front on Wednesday by demanding that the Belarus gas transport company pay a $230 million debt.

On an official level, Russia and Belarus have closer ties than most other former Soviet republics, and for years have explored the idea of joining together to create what they have described as a union state.

But in recent months, the Kremlin and Belarus's president, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, have been at odds over whether Russia will aid Belarus's sinking economy and over Belarus's refusal to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two breakaway enclaves of Georgia, as independent countries.

Besides Russia, the primary patron of the two enclaves, only Nicaragua has abreed to recognize them

The Kremlin has also apparently become concerned over Mr. Lukashenko's attempt to patch up relations with European Union countries. The Europeans have strongly criticized Belarus's human rights record.

On Sunday, Mr. Lukashenko, angered by the Russian ban on milk imports, boycotted a summit of former Soviet republics. Belarus then said it would establish new customs checkpoints on its border with Russia.

On Wednesday, after conducting negotiations with Belarusian officials, a senior Russian health official, Gennadi Onishchenko, told reporters that the dairy ban would be lifted on Thursday. He said Belarus had satisfied Russia's health and regulatory concerns.

Belarus in turn said it would suspend the new customs rules.

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/world/europe/18belarus.html?ref=global-home

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