BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

01/07/2006

Belarus-US relations to depend on US goodwill - Lukashenko

MINSK, July 1 (Itar-Tass) - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said relations with the United States would depend on its goodwill.

Speaking at a solemn ceremony devoted to Independence Day on Saturday, Lukashenko said, "This depends on when the American ruling elite realises new historical realities, gives up destructive claims on its sole world supremacy and understands that the proud, wise and independent people live in Belarus."

"Despite the world boom, Belarus continues its efforts to form a 'belt of good-neighbourliness' - develop good relations with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. We hope for considerable progress in developing good-neighbourly ties with Ukraine."

The Belarussian president noted that he expects trade turnover to increase with the European Union.

"The EU remains Belarus' foreign trade second partner after Russia," Lukashenko stressed. At the same time, the president noted that he "is ready to develop not only economic contacts but also the whole spectrum of relations with the EU on equal conditions."

In his words, Belarus attaches exclusive significance to cooperation with China, "a superpower of the 21st century".

Earlier in the day, Lukashenko said Minsk will not sell its national enterprises, including Beltransgaz, for an old song. "You know about 'a shaggy dog story' around Beltransgaz. Gazprom want to get this enterprise. We are not against to run shares, but no one, even the president, has right to sell it for an old song."

In his words, "it is necessary to pay a market price how this enterprise costs."

Lukashenko said the country does not give up foreign investments. "But we clearly determine conditions - they should not infringe upon our people and should not destroy the state. Thus, we ensure our security, sovereignty and independence."

In his view, "the inflow of investments may lead to losing sovereignty and independence, and the land." "In a split second you'll live outland and you won't govern the state," Lukashenko stressed.

At the same time, the Belarussian president said Minsk considers the development of integration processes with Moscow its foreign policy priority. "Integration with Russia responds to the will of the Belarussian people," he said, adding, "A union with Russia meets the interests of the Belarussian people. But this should be the union of sovereign states."

Source:

http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=10585204&PageNum=0