Recognition of independence of the Caucasian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Belarus will suspend cooperation of Minsk with Brussels and will harm the development of Belarusian-European relations. This opinion was expressed in an interview with a European edition by an anonymous senior Lithuanian diplomat.
«Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, of course, will harm the Belarusian-European relations, and Georgia in this case may block its participation in the Eastern Partnership. The same applies to the relations with the United States, and Lukashenko knows it well», the diplomat said.
The representative of Lithuania also mentioned other possible consequences of such a step for Belarus. They are EU visa sanctions, the financing cessation by IMF, EBRD and European Investment Bank, the inability to conclude a new agreement with the EU and the denial of access to the European market, news agency REGNUM-Belarus reports.
According to the diplomat, the statements of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev showed stimulation of Russia over the fact that its allies in the CIS and the CSTO are slow to recognize the independence of two Caucasian republics. «I do not think that now there are some serious talk about the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Belarus. It seems that the Russian side is simply losing patience», the Lithuanian diplomat summed up.
As Telegraf informed, the Russian leader said that the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko in the presence of leaders of several CIS countries spoke of his determination to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In response, the Belarusian leader accused his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in dishonesty and bad faith in relation to his own statements on the recognition of the sovereignty of the Caucasian republics.
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