Belarusian nominee: Free gas and complete independence are all we need from Russia
Belarus would like to receive extremely cheap energy resources from Russia, but at the same time remain completely independent.
Former diplomat Valery Tsepkalo, who intends to run for president, announced this in an interview with the YouTube channel Tut.by, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“It is clear that we, as Belarusians, are interested in being completely independent, not bound by any obligations to any country in the world. And so that they give us money and cheap energy resources. It `s naturally. But if you negotiate with another country, you will never achieve results if you do not understand its position and think only about your own interests,” says Tsepkalo.
He believes that the ideal relationship between Russia and Belarus is a single customs space.
“The interests of Russia as a state that has huge reserves of natural resources are clear. And there are specific interests of Belarus as a country that has none of this.
In competition, it can rely on completely different factors: the simplicity of the tax system, good infrastructure, education, healthcare, and an effective government system. We are different, we have a different economic structure,” says Tsepkalo.
In his opinion, the issue of a single currency cannot be resolved “if Belarus does not have equal influence on the process, and this is impossible.”
At the same time, he allows the sale of stakes in Belarusian refineries to Russian owners if they ensure the supply of oil or gas “at the price of Smolensk.”
Belarusian candidate : Free gas and complete independence are all we need from Russia