Pavel Borodin: “If Lukashenko did not suit, he would have been dismissed long ago”

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“I assure you, that if Lukashenko did not suit, he would have been dismissed long ago. And no Russia could help him,” stated on March 20 Russia and Byelorussia Union State Secretary Pavel Borodin at a news conference dedicated to Byelorussian Presidential elections and perspective of the Union structuring. As a REGNUM correspondent informs, Borodin, who has stayed in Byelorussia for last three days, have not noted any serious violations, and said that there were no “strict claims” from OSCE observers, even despite their hasty evaluation of elections results. Speaking about Lukashenko's opponents, Borodin said that people, who are currently participating in the meetings, “work for money”. He added that despite the information of some mass media regarding thousands of protesters, there are not more than several hundreds of them in the streets. Borodin said, that all opponents of Lukashenko, including Kozulin, “simply want to come to power”, without realizing real problems of Byelorussia.

Borodin noted that Russia continues financing of different post-Soviet countries, but only in Byelorussia this aid really works. 85% of goods, produced in Byelorussia returns to Russia – for instance agricultural machinery. About 300 thousands of Byelorussians work in Russia. 8,000 enterprises are working in the framework of the Union State programs. Budget 2006 of the Union State is 3.3 bln rubles, and for comparison, budget of EurAsEC is only 100 mln rubles.

Borodin noted that “propaganda” is also well developed in Ukraine, because everybody knows, that average salary and pension in Byelorussia are higher than in Russia.

“Lukashenko is not an angel, but it's the will of the people, and we must agree with it,” concluded Borodin. He said that question referendum on the Union structuring will be discussed in the Byelorussian parliament in April-May 2006.