CURRENCY UNION WITH RUSSIA HINGES ON POLITICAL BARGAIN
Published:
14 August 2003 y., Thursday
Economist Valery Dashkevich, an independent consultant for the Belarusian National Bank, told RFE/RL's Belarusian Service on 12 August that Russian President Vladimir Putin's call on 11 August for a final decision on a common currency stems from pressure exerted on the Kremlin by Russian oligarchs and businessmen.
According to Dashkevich, Russian businessmen are dissatisfied with the lack of progress in Russian-Belarusian integration, and primarily with Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's reluctance to sell major Belarusian state-run enterprises to Russians. Dashkevich believes that Lukashenka will bend to Putin's model of the single currency only after Putin guarantees his support for Lukashenka remaining in power for a third term and makes concessions regarding the future constitution of the Russia-Belarus Union. Dashkevich said Lukashenka might delay his decision on the introduction of the Russian ruble in Belarus until after Russian parliamentary and presidential elections slated for December 2003 and March 2004, respectively.
Šaltinis:
RFE/RL
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus received letters of credence from the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Galymzhan Koishybayev.
more »
On Wednesday, 14 January, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius departs on a two day visit to Warsaw, Republic of Poland.
more »
As is well known, the crisis team of the Slovakian Government decided to reopen the nuclear power station it shut down in late 2008, since the lack of energy generating resources might lead to a total collapse of its power grid.
more »
Welcoming the new Sri Lankan Ambassador to Lithuania, the President underlined this appointment was an important and promising step in the development of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus presented letters of credence to Sigutė Jakštonytė as Lithuania's Ambassador to Malaysia and Singapore, and to Vaclovas Šalkauskas as Lithuania's Ambassador to Argentina.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus congratulates Lithuania's Orthodox and Old Believer communities on Holy Christmas.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus has sent a letter of congratulations to the President of the Czech Republic Václav Klaus whose country has taken over the presidency of the EU.
more »
At the meeting with Mr. Dariusz Jacek Krawiec, President of the Management Board of PKN ORLEN which has AB Mažeikių nafta in its group of companies, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius discussed a possibility of selling out 9.98 % of the refinery shares held by the Government.
more »
Tomorrow, 9 December, Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko is coming to Lithuania for a one-day working visit.
more »
The leaders of the nine Central and Eastern European EU members stated that the prospect of cutting carbon emissions will put the developing economies into difficulties.
more »