Belarus Foreign Minister Speaks of Visa Row with Georgia

Belarus Foreign Minister Sergey Martinov said in an interview with the Belarus state TV channel on June 10 that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko?s decision on the possible enforcement of visa requirements for Georgian citizens was triggered by the threat of, as he put it, the arrival of ?revolutionary fighters? in Belarus from Georgia. The Belarus Foreign Ministers has also called on Tbilisi, which has been criticizing Belarus for its human rights abuse, to change its policy in regards to Minsk.

?This decision of the [Belarus] President was triggered by objective and understandable facts: it is not a secret that President Saakashvili, as well as the Georgian Parliament have made statements and also have decided to dispatch ‘revolutionary’ fighters [to Belarus], which will, naturally be followed by criminal elements. We know about this [scenario] from the experience of other countries,? the Belarus Foreign Minister said, referring to Ukraine, where a group of Georgian students from the Kmara (Enough) organization took part in the peaceful demonstrations which led to the Orange Revolution last year.

?What is the purpose of dispatching these ?revolutionary? fighters to Belarus? To foster a calm, dignified and prosperous life for the Belarus people? Definitely not. Apparently there are other reasons. Must the President [of Belarus], as the guarantor of the country?s stability, defend the state from the raids of this kind? Of course he must. That is why the President instructed the Foreign Ministry and the law enforcement agencies to look into the situation once again and if there is no change in the Georgian leadership?s policy over the dispatching of ?extremists? of instability here, we will, possibly, recommend the President of Belarus to impose visa requirements with this country [Georgia],? Sergey Martinov said.

A group of Georgian parliamentarians proposed a draft statement in response to the President of Belarus’ decision, which recommends the authorities to consider Alexander Lukashenko persona non grata in Georgia. The Parliament is expected to discuss this draft statement at the session next week.

But the Belarus Foreign Minister described this reaction by the Georgian Parliament as ?silly? and ?a storm in an empty cup.? Foreign Minister Martinov said that there is no visa regime currently with Georgia and there will not be one if the ?forceful export of revolution? from Georgia into Belarus does not occur.

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