Alexander Lukashenko is unhappy with existing customs restrictions on the part of Russia and does not deny that the Republic of Belarus may leave the Customs Union.
The President of Belarus said today that the country could stop its current membership in the Customs Union. Lukashenko is not satisfied with Russian customs restrictions. Now he expects that the duties levied for the export of oil products from Russian oil will be canceled. According to Lukashenko, in the year Russia receives 4 billion dollars from this in its budget. In addition, today in Minsk, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Nikolai Azarov convinced Belarusians that Ukraine did not want to lose relations with the countries of the Customs Union. But at the same time, Lukashenko also values with relations in Europe that even if Ukraine is going to join NATO, Belarus will still keep with her a stable relationship. In addition, he noted that to cooperate with Europeans or not is the inviolable right of Ukraine, explained by its sovereignty. Therefore, this will not affect relations with Belarus. The President of Belarus also recalled that since the beginning of 2014, Vladimir Putin promises to cancel all existing restrictions and prohibitions in trade between these two countries. If the promise is not fulfilled in terms, then Belarus will think about whether it is worth continuing his membership in the Customs Union. Lukashenko himself is sure that further expediency of this simply will not be precisely in terms of obtaining the necessary economic effect for the country. He noted that if Russia had not collected such large duties, then Belarus could have built “entire Emirates” for a long time.