We, the Belarusian Green Party, are calling for an end to the secret negotiations on the "in-depth integration" of Belarus and Russia, which jeopardize the very existence of an independent Belarus.
On 8 December 2019, Lukashenko and Putin signed a package of documents on the so-called "deep integration", which is aimed at uniting the economies of the two countries, and in fact - at the gradual absorption of Belarus by Russia. The "road maps" of which it consists provide for the unification of the laws and practices of the two countries according to the Russian model. In other words, we are talking about the loss of Belarusian national sovereignty.
These negotiations are not initially democratic and not transparent to the public. Documents that determine the fate of the country are developed under the heading "top secret." Citizens and the media receive rejections and advice “not to create panic” for numerous requests.
The sovereignty of Belarus and the ability of citizens to decide their own destiny are of value to us, and we believe that what is happening is unacceptable.
We would like to point out that the construction of the Ostrovets Nuclear Power Plant, which we have been opposing from the beginning together with the Belarusian Anti-Nuclear Coalition, is one of the essential parts of this process.
It is no accident that Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk called it the best example from the field of "integration". The station is being built by the Russian state corporation “Rosat” on a Russian loan under a Russian project. It will tie Belarus to Russian fuel and technology and will create an opportunity for manipulation and will put pressure on nuclear waste management.
In case of commissioning, the Nuclear Power Plant will deepen Belarus’s economic and political dependence on Russia.
According to the information available to us, “in-depth integration” provides for the creation of a single regulator for the energy market of both countries. This will actually put an end to Belarus’s transition to renewable energy - we will be forced to support the hydrocarbon industry in Russia, which will lose its position in other markets through the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Unification according to Russian standards will worsen the environmental legislation of Belarus and will further restrict citizens in upholding their rights to a favourable environment.
There is a big risk that Belarus will be forced to withdraw from international environmental agreements and conventions to which Russia is not a party. In particular, the Aarhus Convention and the Espoo Convention.
Together with the arrival of large Russian business, this will create conditions for the ruin of Belarus' natural resources and environmental pollution.
However, we are concerned not only with this, but with the many economic and political consequences of "integration." For example, we do not accept the annexation of Crimea, the outbreak of war in Ukraine, and the participation in hostilities in Syria. However, in the new “Union State” we will be obliged to accept these facts and similar practices, which may continue in the future.
We are in defence of the sovereignty of Belarus and we demand the termination of negotiations on "expanded integration", providing the public with full information about the available documents and processes.
We express our support to all companies and initiatives that advocate for the sovereignty of Belarus. In particular, the Fresh Wind public campaign, as well as the parties and NGOs that made statements on this subject.
We will continue to convey information to citizens of Belarus and our partners in the movement around the world about the threat looming over Belarus.
We urge citizens of Belarus to take active steps in defence of sovereignty within the framework of the law and constitutional rights.
