Foreign Ministry commented on US State Department statement: no need to lecture independent Belarus
"The statements of the State Department and the European External Action Service about concern for Belarusian citizens are the height of cynicism. Meanwhile, if they want to talk about it, we are always ready – but this should be a mutually respectful dialogue. At the same time, there should be no lecturing towards us, towards independent Belarus," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, Anatoly Glaz, said, as he commented on the statement of the US State Department and the press secretary of the European External Relations Service in connection with the change in the list of administrative procedures assigned to Belarusian embassies.
“We have not applied to them with a request for a legal examination of our legislative acts. Belarusians, in principle, do very well without their valuable advice on how to live and build their independent state. The time of valuable guidance for us went away with Bill Clinton. By the way, this mantra – about supporting our independence – is constantly being uttered by the State Department. At the same time, de facto, it dares to assess the completely applied aspects of our domestic legislation. This strange logic is probably designed for banana republics," Mr. Glaz said.
The spokesman explained, “The United Stets – where more than 1,106 ‘prisoners of the sixth of January’ are beaten in solitary cells; where S. Rhodes, who did not even approach the Capitol, gets 18 years in prison allegedly for storming it and D. Biggs, who did not touch anyone, gets 17 years; where the current Venezuelan diplomat A. Saab is illegally detained in prison only because he told the truth; and where D. Schulte is sentenced to 80 years in prison – has, in principle, no right to teach anyone democracy and human rights.”
Mr. Glaz added in the statement, “Our counter-partners suggested that the adoption of the decree allegedly damages thousands of Belarusians. At the same time, they slyly kept silent about the damage their actions cause to millions of our compatriots. Entire sectors of the Belarusian economy with hundreds of thousands of employees are under illegal sanctions. Belarusians were deprived of normal flights with Western countries. At the whim of the American leadership, even the sale of tickets for our citizens and aircraft maintenance are limited, the supply of important medical products for the treatment of Belarusians is limited, electronic payments for businesses and between relatives on different sides of the border are hindered, cargo communication with the EU with a huge number of workers in this industry is practically paralysed. Even Belarusians, and their own citizens, are prevented from moving normally across the land border by EU countries. Moreover, the simple receipt by Belarusians of Schengen and American entry visas is a sort of a quest lasting for months and sometimes being accompanied by openly humiliating requirements and procedures. Let them think about these consular functions and services of their own.”
