Monday, 15 June 2009
Russia moved on Monday to heal a trade rift with Belarus, with the Foreign Ministry reaffirming its commitment to stronger ties and premier warning officials against harsh statements directed at Minsk.
Russia banned supplies of Belarusian dairy products, the country's key exports, over health concerns earlier this month. Minsk qualified the move as "economic discrimination" and boycotted a post-Soviet security summit in Moscow on Sunday.
"Attempts to link emerging bilateral problems to the development of cooperation within international forums such as the CSTO are irrational and harmful," the ministry said in a statement, adding however that Moscow remained committed to stronger ties with Minsk as its "reliable partner and ally."
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned Cabinet ministers against making tough statements on Belarus amid the new tensions.
"You should be more cautious in statements, and should know what to say and where, and to show restraint. Being offended in politics is not the best course of events," Putin said following critical statements by Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin in particular.
Relations between the former Soviet republics have been strained in recent years, mainly over growing prices for Russian natural gas. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has also moved to strengthen ties with the West in a bid to cut Moscow influence.
Lukashenko canceled plans to take part in a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which groups Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev criticized Lukashenko for failing to personally contact him to discuss Belarus's refusal to attend.
Earlier on Monday, Russia's chief sanitary official said talks with Belarus on resuming dairy supplies would take place in Moscow today. But Gennady Onishchenko said Russia would make no concessions on its new regulations.
An aide to Belarus's agriculture minister said the problem could be resolved within a week as Belarus was preparing to send samples of selected dairy products to Russian labs for tests.
Kazimir Romanovsky said Belarus's dairy exports to Russia are worth $1 billion a year. Russia accounts for over 90% of the country's dairy exports.
