Anatoly Lokot: it is impossible to cancel a course on integration of Russia and Belarus!

Recently the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Anatoly Lokot was elected the chairman of the commission of Parliamentary Assembly of Belarus and Russia Union on social policy, science, culture and humanitarian affairs. He is the member of еру Parliamentary Assembly of Belarus and Russia Union already for the third convocation – more than eight years.

He told about the prospects of the Union State development in interview to a portal “The world and we” and explained why the new sanctions of the European Union against the Republic of Belarus won't lead to something:

- I am elected the chairman of the commission on social policy, science, culture and humanitarian affairs. There is a lot of work. Recently many serious steps were made to level the legislation in our countries. For example, the Russian who has earned the pension at home should receive it in Belarus without problems. After all the legislation is different and these distinctions only increased here and there: concerning the same pensions especially.

Now the situation gradually changes. And it is necessary to solve all problems which can arise at citizens of one state in the territory of another. We already achieved much, but there are shortcomings and, it means, the continuous monitoring of a situation is necessary. After all we have two states, two governments, two economies and the approaches are different, but we have no uniform economic space yet.

- How the scientific cooperation develops?

- We weren't engaged seriously earlier. Being the member of the commission on economy, I distinctly saw it. For example, the allied programs developed at the expense of the budget of the Union State. It needs and to be developed further, but more reality is required. There is a practice of carrying out of seminars concerning the construction of the Union State - I consider that such action needs to be carried out in the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok concerning the scientific cooperation. And it is not any good wishes, but quite real prospect, considering the level of the relations in this sphere between the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science and scientists of Belarus. The matter is of basic and applied researches. Not only physics can communicate, but also, for example, the historians.

- How the commission work goes on?

- The deputies of the Russian and Belarusian parliaments who are a part of parliament of the Union State gather for joint meetings which pass in turn on the Belarusian and Russian lands. The commission machinery is in Moscow.

- Is any effect from the work?

- Certainly, it is! There is a budget of the Union State which is formed from the charges of two states. It is necessary not only for the maintenance of the machinery, but for carrying out of such sign events in cultural life as the festival “Slavic market”. The allied programs give the most important effect. The studies are carried out, the whole directions work. But there are also the problems: as a result of our cooperation there is an allied property, but then nobody knows what to do with it … I don't make joke at all! The matter is that there is no the relevant legislation yet. Look at the project “Supercomputer” in which the Moscow State University and the Belarusian scientists cooperate – there is success, but there is a question: how to be further?!

- Is the Union State in general? Or it is only on paper …

- We really make no progress. There are many elements of this state: parliament, government, executive committee; only there is no legitimacy… It seems as the state is under the Contract, but somehow we got stuck in a transition period. The political construction of the Union State remained at level of 2006. During this period the versions of the Constitutional act were already prepared and it was possible to pass to a finishing stage – to carrying out the referenda in Russia and Belarus at the same time.

I consider that it wasn’t for the subjective reasons. I wouldn't like to make comments on it, but I want to notice that watching a situation attentively, I see: the process actively develops now not in the field of political decisions, but in the tideway of economic integration. The Customs Union, common free market zone develops. But the turn generally grows at the expense of direct connections with the enterprises and regions.

- Are any opponents of the Union State in the State Duma?

- I think that those won’t be found in the Russian parliament! At one time Vladimir Zhirinovsky made statements that it isn't necessary for us, but I think that they were caused by exclusively political environment. I know many sincere supporters of the Union State in the LDPR fraction.

- Europe once again declared the introduction of sanctions against Belarus, this time political. Will they give that effect on which the initiators count on?

- The European Union puts pressure upon the Republic of Belarus, alternating the economic and political sanctions with the political. Now it is a question of the ban on entry to the European Union of a number of leading persons of the Republic of Belarus that actually is the political sanction.

Such aggravations have already cyclic character. The sanctions against Belarus are not the news. As they say, not for the first time ever … There were no any surprises. About four years ago, when Europe proclaimed sanctions with the pomp, the deputy Kondratenko and I suggested to accept the special statement in this respect at the meeting of parliamentary meeting of the Union State which passed in Moscow. We considered that the attacks to the management of Belarus are the attacks to the leaders of the Union State and we are obliged to state the support to the management of Belarus. And the colleagues supported us!
The stake was made on economic suffocation of the republic. Belarus is focused not to the west, but to the east – Russia. And this circumstance is the reason of all sanctions and attacks; this is and nothing else!

They tried a way of economic sanctions, but it didn’t turn out … And after all they believed that it will be simplest to discharge the president Lukashenko of the power during an economic crisis. But they miscalculated – the Belarusians coped with crisis. The rate on economic chaos didn't justify, the republic left the crisis — the enterprises work, people receive the salary. The country could sustain the inflationary processes, devaluation, as a whole the economic situation remained under control, the economy kept stability and continues to develop. Now they decided to involve the policy, but in fact all these sanctions are the demonstration of powerlessness of the European Union...
Alexander Lukashenko has noticed very correctly: who, generally speaking, undertakes to learn Belarus? That European Union to which many European experts predict the disorder and which is torn apart by contradictions simply?! Such teachers aren't necessary for Belarus!

It is obvious the desire of the West to liquidate the control regime in Belarus which is focused on the union with Russia. The vector of the development of Belarus and Russia is taken on interaction, on creation of common free market zone. The parliament of the Union State works where there was a rotation of the managerial personnel at regular session. The prospect of real integration of Belarus, Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union is that really disturbs the West.

- Will the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State react to this situation somehow?

- Surely! Our next session will pass in the summer and we will return to this question by all means and give the basic assessment.