An Expert: Kremlin Carries out Personnel Policy in CIS – Lukashenka is the Next

According to Igor Sechin, the Deputy Prime-Minister of the Government of Russia, the Russian Federation does not expel court procedures on gas debts with the Republic of Belarus.

A Belarusian expert in politics Andrei Fedorov told news portal www.UDF.BY, that he does not consider Russia`s policy extraordinary:

- If Belarus took out an oil process against Russia, why Russia can`t take out a gas process against Belarus.

The expert is sure, that "a compromise will be found", but does not exclude a possibility of another worsening of bilateral relations.

Leonid Zaiko, the head of the analytical center "Strategy" is not so optimistic:

- Obvious, that such statements are not made without the knowledge of the authority, that’s why I suppose, that Mr. Sechin have got a particular task from Putin.

This point of view is supported by a political analyst Roman Jakovlevsky, who told news portal www.UDF.BY that Sechin is "in charge of the Republic of Belarus". He believes, Mr. Sechin has strong influence on the Russian authorities, in spite of his position.

Roman Jakovlevsky thinks, that "this statement is one of the mechanisms of pressing the Belarusian authorities". According to the political analyst, "it is difficult to predict the result of the tensions, because lately it has been difficult to predict Alexander Lukashenka’s actions".

According to the head of the analytical center "Strategy", the Deputy Prime-Minister`s statement is the response to the actions of Belarus, that announced, it is going to defend its interests in the bilateral conflict in the international judicial instances.

But according to Mr. Zaiko, it is prospectless. "Firstly, Russian lawyers are better, they are more experienced in such cases. And secondly, making such statements, Russia is 80-90 % sure that it will win the case".

The expert believes, that Sechin`s statement is targeted against Alexander Lukashenka:

- Today we can be sure that Russia carries out personnel policy on CIS territory. Take for example, Bakhiev. The head of Georgia M. Saakashvili and the president of Belarus are the next.

Roman Jakovlevsky believes that the Belarusian society will receive the answers to many questions in the nearest future:

- We are at the threshold of the Russian-Belarusian conflict. Sergey Lavrov`s visit in Minsk on Monday is not of random character. I believe that the consequences of the conflict for Belarus will be very bad.

According to news portal www.UDF.BY previous information, Alexander Lukashenka announced, that from his point of view there is no debt before "Gasprom".

At the same time according to the Russian company`s estimation, Belarusian gas debt is more than $190 million.

Igor Sechin, the Deputy Prime-Minister of the Government of Russia, expressed his hope in the end of May, that Belarus would pay according to the price, stipulated in the contract. The Russian official said: "I think, they will pay. It is a nonsense, that a contract is observed just by one side."