Фото: пресс-служба Лукашенко
Aliaksandr Lukashenka used the CIS summit in Turkmenistan to express his dissatisfaction with Moldova’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States. In his view, the decision was short-sighted.
“Of course, this is not the choice of ordinary Moldovans, but a decision by the country’s leadership. I believe it is short-sighted. Moreover, they understand this themselves and are trying to retain their participation in the Free Trade Area Agreement,” he said, according to his press service.
It should be noted that Moldova’s withdrawal from the CIS is taking place at the same time as the opening of negotiations on the country’s accession to the European Union.
“In this regard, I would like to urge Moldova’s leadership to preserve the opportunity for ordinary Moldovan citizens to maintain channels of interaction, at least at the initial stage.
“History always repeats itself. We already have the experience of Georgia’s withdrawal from the CIS. But today we can see how the situation is changing. Clearly, returning to normal relations is easier along the well-established path of the Commonwealth’s mechanisms. It is also easier to launch more substantial formats for deeper cooperation if you have the foundation of our Commonwealth,” Lukashenka added.
It should be noted that since its establishment following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the CIS has lost three members: Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. In the cases of Georgia and Ukraine, decisions to withdraw from the Commonwealth were linked to Russia’s aggression against those countries.
Despite the decline in the number of Commonwealth members, Lukashenka still sees potential in the organisation.
“Looking back, we remember the difficult circumstances in which our Commonwealth was created. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, external forces openly sought to manipulate the newly independent states. Unfortunately, this policy continues today. Our organisation was vilified in every possible way, being called a ‘geopolitical phantom’ and a ‘myth’. It was predicted to last barely a couple of months, with its critics not even considering the possibility of integration among our republics. At this point, I would like to say that our opponents made a strategic miscalculation. The reality is much more complex,” he said.
He noted that a multipolar world is now taking shape, driven by BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the African Union and other groupings of the so-called global majority. In this context, the CIS has an advantage.
“The foundation of the Commonwealth is even stronger. We are united not only by our desire to create a fair system of global governance and trade on equal terms. Our unity is based on a shared history, cultural heritage and human ties,” he said.
Despite his remarks about the Commonwealth’s potential, Lukashenka also lamented its lack of effectiveness.
“We approved the agenda based on what is feasible. Look at our decisions: what is missing? What is missing is the development of what we often talk about: the well-being of our peoples, our states and so on. Where is that reflected in this agenda? And this is what happens year after year within the Commonwealth. While preparing for this meeting, I once again noted to myself: yes, we are no longer the 15 republics that made up the Soviet Union. But we are nine powerful and wealthy states!” he said.
Lukashenka noted that some CIS member states have the resources to become “major drivers”.
“We are capable of doing this. So why are there no initiatives that would ultimately preserve the unity of our nine states?” he added.
“It is good that we meet, that we talk, look at one another and issue a statement. It is useful for domestic audiences to know this. But let us also take other steps towards closer unity. And it is the economy above all that will ensure our unity. It means prosperity and the strength of our states. Then there will be less talk about independence, preserving borders and other such matters. We need to strengthen our economies. We have serious work to do in this regard. We are ready to participate in every possible way,” Lukashenka continued.