DATE=7/9/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43843
TITLE=RUSSIA / BELARUS
BYLINE=ANDRE DE NESNERA
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER SERGEI STEPASHIN SAYS A TREATY TO 
MERGE RUSSIA AND BELARUS INTO A SINGLE STATE WILL BE READY FOR  
SIGNATURE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ANDRE DE 
NESNERA IN MOSCOW LOOKS AT THE LATEST ATTEMPTS TO FASHION A 
BELARUS-RUSSIAN UNION.

TEXT:  EFFORTS TO MERGE RUSSIA AND BELARUS INTO ONE ENTITY HAVE 
BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS.  JUST LAST DECEMBER, RUSSIAN  
PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN AND BELARUS PRESIDENT ALEXANDER 
LUKASHENKO SIGNED A DECLARATION CREATING A UNION GOVERNED BY 
SUPRANATIONAL BODIES. 

BUT VERY FEW CONCRETE STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER THE YEARS TO 
UNITE THE TWO COUNTRIES OTHER THAN VAGUE DECLARATIONS OF INTENT.

BELARUS OFFICIALS HAVE ACCUSED RUSSIA OF FOOT-DRAGGING.  IN A 
FIERY SPEECH LAST WEEK (IN MINSK) TO A MEETING OF BELARUS AND 
RUSSIAN LAWMAKERS, PRESIDENT LUKASHENKO SAID HE WILL REVIEW HIS 
COUNTRY'S FOREIGN POLICY IF RUSSIA CONTINUES TO DELAY. 

       ///  LUKASHENKO ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER  ///

PRESIDENT LUKASHENKO SAID HE HAS ORDERED THE FOREIGN MINISTRY TO 
ESTABLISH THE CLOSEST RELATIONS WITH ALL NEIGHBORS OF BELARUS, 
INCLUDING WESTERN STATES.  HE SAID BELARUS MADE A BIG MISTAKE IN 
FOCUSING ONLY ON MOSCOW.  AND, HE ADDED, CONSIDER THIS MY LAST 
APPEAL FOR INTEGRATION WITH RUSSIA.

THOSE STRONG WORDS BROUGHT A QUICK RESPONSE FROM SENIOR RUSSIAN 
OFFICIALS.  PRIME MINISTER SERGEI STEPASHIN SAID THERE ARE  
VIRTUALLY  NO  DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND BELARUS ON THE 
SUBSTANCE OF A UNION TREATY -- AND THAT TEXT WILL BE READY FOR 
SIGNATURE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

        ///  STEPASHIN ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER  ///

AS FOR BELARUS TRYING TO FORGE CLOSER RELATIONS WITH THE WEST -- 
MR. STEPASHIN SAID -- "MOSCOW WELCOMES IT."

SEVERAL COMMENTATORS HERE HAVE INDICATED MR. LUKASHENKO'S ATTEMPT
TO TURN TOWARD THE WEST WAS ONLY A PLOY TO STIR RUSSIAN OFFICIALS
INTO ACTION ON THE BELARUS-RUSSIAN MERGER.  SOME OBSERVERS SAY 
WESTERN DEMOCRACIES MAY BE RELUCTANT TO DEAL WITH THE BELARUS 
PRESIDENT GIVEN HIS APPALLING RECORD ON HUMAN RIGHTS.

///  OPT  ///   A SELF-PROFESSED ADMIRER OF NAZI LEADER ADOLF 
HITLER AND SOVIET SECRET POLICE FOUNDER FELIX DZERZHINSKY, THE 
BELARUS PRESIDENT HAS BEEN VERY INTOLERANT OF ANY KIND OF 
DISSENT.  WESTERN GOVERNMENTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE
CONSISTENTLY CRITICIZED HIM FOR HIS ACTIONS.   ///  END OPT  ///

SOME RUSSIAN REGIONAL LEADERS HAVE VOICED CONCERN ABOUT A 
POTENTIAL UNION BETWEEN MOSCOW AND MINSK.  THE PRESIDENT OF 
TATARSTAN -- MINTIMER SHAIMIYEV -- SAID HE IS CONFUSED.

        ///  SHAIMIYEV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER  ///

WHAT KIND OF UNION ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, ASKED MR. SHAIMIYEV.  IF
IT IS A UNION OF TWO SOVEREIGN STATES, THEN WE CAN FORGE A  
POLITICAL AGREEMENT.  BUT MR. SHAMIYEV SAID IF THERE IS TALK OF 
SETTING UP A NEW STATE, THEN TATARSTAN WILL WANT TO PLAY A ROLE 
IN THIS NEW STATE.  IN ANY EVENT, MR. SHAMIYEV SAID ANY UNION 
TREATY MUST BE PUT TO A REFERENDUM.

QUESTIONS HAVE ALSO BEEN RAISED AS TO WHO WILL BE THE LEADER OF 
THIS EVENTUAL STATE UNITING BELARUS AND RUSSIA.  ALEXANDER 
LUKASHENKO HAS MADE CLEAR HIS ASPIRATION TO BECOME THE ENTITY'S 
NEW PRESIDENT -- IF SUCH A POST IS CREATED.  AND SOME RUSSIAN 
COMMENTATORS HAVE FLOATED THE IDEA THAT SINCE BORIS YELTSIN 
CANNOT RUN NEXT YEAR FOR A THIRD TERM AS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, HE 
MAY STAY IN POWER BY BECOMING PRESIDENT OF THIS NEW STATE. 

BUT UP TO NOW, THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SILENT ON THAT 
ISSUE.  (SIGNED)

NEB/ADEN/JWH/KL

09-Jul-99 1:01 PM EDT (1701 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.