Pompeo in Belarus to push better ties, counter Russia, China

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Belarus seeking to improve ties with former Soviet republic as its relations with Russia become furr strained. Pompeo is first secretary of state to visit Belarus in more than two deces and arrived on Saturday amid new tensions between Minsk and Moscow over energy. In a meeting with President Alexander Lukashenko, Pompeo said he hoped to help provide an opportunity for Belarus to achieve “sovereignty” and “independence” it seeks.

Belarus fears Russia is trying to absorb it and last month began purchasing gas from rway after Russian supplies were cut off. Last week, Lukashenko accused Russia, country’s main provider of cheap oil and gas, of stopping supplies “to dissolve Belarus.”

Pompeo said U.S. wants to help fill vacuum and will continue to boost staffing at its embassy in Minsk, which was severely reduced 12 years ago. two countries agreed in September to exchange ambassors for first time since 2008.

Belarus h been a candidate to be included in Trump ministration’s expanded travel ban that was anunced on Friday but avoided it by taking measures to improve security cooperation and potential traveler threat information with United States.

In dition to trying to boost American influence in Belarus, Pompeo will be urging ecomic and political reforms as well as improved human rights conditions — a mess similar to those he will be bringing to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan later this weekend. At each stop, Pompeo will warn of attempts by Russia and China to aggressively assert mselves in Europe and Central Asia.

Russia stopped supplying oil to Belarus after Dec. 31. two nations h failed to renegotiate an agreed oil price for this year during drawn-out negotiations on deepening integration of ir ecomies.

Russian suspension did t affect oil crossing Belarus to Europe or supply of natural gas, but h consequences for Belarus, which relies on Russia for more than 80% of its energy needs.

Lukashenko has since vowed to find alternative oil suppliers and said Friday that Belarus is currently negotiating ditional supplies with United States, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

Kremlin has recently increased pressure on Belarus, raising energy prices and cutting subsidies. It argues that Belarus should accept greater ecomic integration if it wants to continue receiving energy resources at Russia’s domestic prices.

This has prompted fears in Belarus that Kremlin is plotting to form a single state with Belarus to keep Russian President Vlimir Putin in power well past end of his term in 2024.Lukashenko has repeatedly rejected idea, saying that Belarus would never become part of Russia.

(Im Credit: AP)