Belarusian envoy rejects allegations of migrants being pushed to EU and India

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Belarusian envoy to India Andrei Rzheussky dismissed allegations that his country pushed migrants to Poland and Lithuania saying “we did not cause this crisis”.

The migrant crisis on the border between Belarus on one side and Poland and three Baltic countries, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on the other side has seen an influx of thousands of migrants, most from countries like Iraq. This development has further worsened the already difficult relations between Minsk and its western neighbors.

Addressing our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Envoy Andrei Rzheussky said: “Belarus, as a transit country, was on its way to the western world … We did not cause this crisis because the people were trying to have a better life in western countries ”.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an end to the “appalling” border crisis between Belarus and Poland.

The envoy also said that “a lot of misunderstandings have arisen especially with neighboring countries” because of the “presidential elections..which have not been recognized” but “it is a decision of our country and we are trying to convince them that the sanctions and coercive measures taken against Belarus is not the right approach “.

Sanctions have been imposed by the EU on Belarus due to “the continued crackdown on civil society, the democratic opposition, independent media and journalists,” the EU said in a statement earlier this month. . The EU’s sanctions announcement in December is the fifth sanctions package against the country.

Sidhant Sibal: What happened on the border between your country and countries like Poland and Lithuania.

Andrei Rzheussky: There has been a lot of speculation from Poland, Lithuania and other countries. First of all, we did not provoke this crisis, we also suffered from what happened at our border. A lot of people were trying to escape the war, the economic crisis in their own country. They headed to Western countries in search of a better life. Belarus was only a transit country on the way to the western world. Many people gathered on the border between Belarus and its neighboring countries, such as Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. We did our best to help people when Poland, Lithuania and Latvia pushed them away. We provided temporary shelter for migrants as well as food. Truth be told, the problem is with western countries, primary Poland and Lithuania did not fulfill their obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention because they did not allow migrants to pass through their countries. So the crisis arrived. We have not been able to convince Western countries to fully engage. A lot has happened at the border. Poland used force in the form of water cannons against the people. Several people, including journalists, suffered a lot at the border.

Sidhant Sibal: Has this situation happened in the past? Are you in conversation with neighbors to resolve this issue?

Andrei Rzheussky: From the start we tried to inform Poland and Lithuania of the situation. We said we had to sit down on the table and find a solution. But unfortunately, we have not received any response from these countries. This is not the right approach taken by these countries. Before the middle of this year there was huge border cooperation, many projects were going on with western countries like Poland and Lithuania. There are common programs on how to prevent illegal immigration. But unfortunately this program has been stopped and Belarus alone cannot stop the flow.

Sidhant Sibal: How did these migrants end up in Belarus? West said migrants are being pushed by your country because of the sanctions that have been imposed on your government.

Andrei Rzheussky: At the moment we are trying to convince people to go back to their country of origin, some of them have accepted that. As I know, some planes have left for countries like Iraq and Syria. As I know, 600 to 700 people are in temporary border camps set up by our government. They are still wondering whether to stay in Belarus or return to their home country. All asylum claims in Belarus will also be properly examined. But the majority of people would like to go to western countries or stay in Belarus.

Sidhant Sibal: So you reject the allegations of militarization of migrants?

Andrei Rzheussky: It’s an absolute lie. Migrants still want to go to Western countries. The flow to Belarus is much lower than to Italy or any other country. The flow of migrants has been constant but we have managed to control it by making joint efforts with the Western countries that have participated in this program. At the moment the program has stopped and there is nothing we can do to stop people. So the crisis arrived.

Sidhant Sibal: In London, one of your diplomats was attacked.

Andrei Rzheussky: As I know from official information, on December 19, the wall of our embassy building was damaged when two diplomats arrived. In the incident, a diplomat was seriously injured. The person has a broken nose. The police arrested the person who injured our diplomat. The accused was a member of an immigrant group. As far as I know, the CoA of the British Embassy in Minsk was called to the Foreign Office and was given a protest note with a request to find out what happened and take appropriate action against the guilty. A criminal case has been registered and an investigation is underway.

Sidhant Sibal: But it looks like Belarus and its neighbors are heading for a difficult situation. How can this be resolved?

Andrei Rzheussky: Listen, Belarus is a peaceful country and we have always behaved this way. We have always suggested diplomatic solution for every dispute. It is not our fault because many misunderstandings have arisen from neighboring countries. The main reason is that the results of the presidential elections were not recognized by our neighboring countries as well as by many Western countries. But this decision was important to our nation. A result is a result and 80% of the votes were won by our president and his manager. We have tried to convince them that the sanctions and coercive measures taken against Belarus are not the right approach. Sanctions are a dead end and will never work. Western countries have imposed sanctions on the Belarusian government because of which our people are suffering. It is a fact of life. We try to act wisely and not react to sanctions, but we cannot ignore everything.

Sidhant Sibal: What is the situation in your country with regard to the discussions on the referendum on the constitution, political prisoners, the opposition leaving the country, etc. Is your country moving towards an authoritarian regime?

Andrei Rzheussky: If you are talking about constitutional reforms, in February the Belarusian assembly decided that it was necessary to propose constitutional reforms. Our president announced it. A special constitutional commission has been created. About 77 articles have been amended as well as the preamble. Lots of challenges have arisen. Two days ago, it was announced. Towards the beginning of this year, the draft will be published for decision. At the end of February, it will be submitted to a referendum.

Sidhant Sibal: The West says you are heading for authoritarianism.

Andrei Rzheussky: Listen, my advice is to come to Belarus and you will see it with your own eyes whether there is freedom or not. We are free, absolutely free. We have our own foreign policy, which is independent. It may be against the plans of Western countries. Because of our president’s policy, people are going in the direction we want to go.

Sidhant Sibal: Have you informed India of the border situation?

Andrei Rzheussky: We sent out three press releases to all media that were in contact with a think tank, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We did a briefing in November and December.

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see India-Belarus relations?

Andrei Rzheussky: We see India as a strategic partner in this region. Our government has made the decision to open an additional representation here, CG in Mumbai. The decision was made in the summer. We have almost opened our Consul General in Mumbai. We are in consultation process and will open in the new year and strengthen our business in India. We have two Honorary Consular Generals, one in Mumbai and the other in Kolkata. We have a strong relationship with India and have a long history since 1947. We have always supported you. We established the embassy in 1992 and have good relations at all levels. Our President visited India three times – 1997, 2007 and 2017 and your President Mukherjee visited Belarus in 2015. Our Prime Minister visited India three times. We are working to organize Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Belarus, something that we have been trying to do for a few years and I hope that next year we will succeed in doing it. We have projects in the mining sector. In the past 3 years, we have supplied mining trucks to India. There are huge projects in the oil industry. We’ve helped you get more oil out of old oil rigs. The project was successful. The last project was completed this year. There is cooperation in the field of culture since we donated our premises to shoot an Indian film Squad which appeared on Netflix. We have a huge facility.

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