Russian Ambassador to Belarus Dmitry Mezentsev’s interview with TASS, October 16, 2019
Question: Russia and Belarus maintain close contact in general and at the regional level. Russian governors have been visiting Belarus more often recently. Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor Andrey Nikitin will arrive in Minsk today.
Dmitry Mezentsev: You are right. We will also soon receive Sverdlovsk Region Governor Yevgeny Kuivashev and Kaliningrad Region Governor Anton Alikhanov, and we look forward to hosting a large delegation from Tatarstan, headed by Rustam Minnikhanov, in December.
Question: What do these meetings mean for interstate relations?
Dmitry Mezentsev: I am convinced that the opportunities for interregional cooperation in dozens of areas are huge. They organically blend with a palette of bilateral relations that basically determine the potential of the Union State.
In December we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Union Treaty. We see that this integration has gained the expected scale and depth. We understand that the development of horizontal ties between business associations, companies and consumer cooperation representatives in the region-to-region format allows us to promptly launch our plans and ensure a commodity exchange that not only brings profits to its participants but also streamlines transport logistics, the structure of regional markets, and most importantly, meets the requirements of our people.
These are ambitious tasks determined for our countries by President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, which was also confirmed at their talks at the Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions in St Petersburg last July. Substantive discussions in the Tauride Palace proved again that inter-regional dialogue is useful. The participants in the forum, which was successfully held by co-chairs, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and Speaker of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich, adopted strategic decisions on trade and economic cooperation.
Now that we have young people in our countries that have sufficient income and interest in high technology, prestigious jobs and a certain social comfort, we must do much to let these young people better understand the main and most important stages of our common history. It is important for these talented young people to become acquainted and become closer to each other, and most importantly, to create their vision of the future together. They should think about the future image of the world, responsibility for which will be theirs in 20-25 years. It will be their task to deepen bilateral relations. It is very important to make sure that in 25 years their current contacts, friendships and understanding underlie their conviction of the need to maintain common historical, Slavic and religious traditions. It is very important that we keep the doors of our national homes open for each other both in the figurative and the literal meanings of this phrase.
During their visits to Belarus, Russian regional governors will meet with President Lukashenko, Prime Minister Sergey Rumas, members of the cabinet of ministers and their long-standing partners. In addition, meetings will be held at the Academy of Sciences of Belarus at the initiative of its president, Vladimir Gusakov. This is vital for maintaining relations between young researchers and to promote contact between universities and schools in dozens of areas of humanitarian and cultural cooperation.
Question: Regarding cultural cooperation, our countries are united by language, religion, historical tradition and extensive cultural ties. What are relations like in these areas now? What kind of cultural contacts do we maintain?
Dmitry Mezentsev: I would like to go back a little, to the events of this summer. We are grateful to the leaders of Belarus and the Minsk City Executive Committee for approving a major holiday, Days of Multiethnic Russia in Minsk. We are also grateful to the residents of Minsk and the guests of that city for their response.
About 482 performing artists came from Russia. A “theatre town” and an enormous stage were built for us in the centre of the Belarusian capital. We wanted to show our Belarusian friends – the spectators at these festive events from different generations – the rich art of the Russian regions: Leningrad, Kaluga, Saratov, Samara, Ryazan and Smolensk regions, the Republic of Dagestan and Bashkortostan, and Moscow and St Petersburg as Russia’s largest cities. And we succeeded in doing so. The holiday, which began with the presentation of folk crafts from various Russian regions, songs and dances in “Uptown,” continued on the square outside the Sports Palace. It started at noon and ended almost at midnight. We wanted our guests (about 20,000) to take with them a bit of warmth, attention and our common care for traditions and cultural ties.
Focusing on the younger generation, we held Days of Sports and Cultural Traditions of Russia in the Russian fan zone of the 2nd European Olympic Games (impeccably organised, by the way). There also was a modern pop music performance. According to the Central Internal Affairs Directorate of the Minsk City Executive Committee, about 30,000 guests came to see our show.
We also presented our tea ceremony with seven samovars. One was 50 litres large, with baked bread rings and gingerbread cookies. We are grateful to our Belarusian partners who helped us bake 10,000 pancakes and treat our guests.
But, as you understand, this is not so much the point. The atmosphere of celebration, unity and joy remains in our memory forever. And we very much appreciate this massive response in the Belarusian capital on the Day of Multiethnic Russia, and within the framework of the Russian fan zone programme at the 2nd European Olympic Games.
The opening ceremony for the monument to Alexander Pushkin took place in Brest last Friday, October 11. The monument to the famous Russian poet was handed over to the city of Brest at the initiative of Russian Minister of Culture and head of the Military Historical Society Vladimir Medinsky. A legendary city, also known around the world for the feat of its defenders of the Brest Fortress, is celebrating its 1000th anniversary.
Importantly, the governor of the Brest Region Anatoly Lis, Mayor of Brest Alexander Rogachuk responded to Russia’s gesture by building the Pushkin Park to be enjoyed by Brest residents and guests. Poetry evenings will be held there, and possibly creative Q&A sessions about the literary heritage of Alexander Pushkin and Adam Mickiewicz, Mikhail Lermontov, and poets of the Silver Age, Yakub Kolas, Yanka Kupala, and other members of the vast “literary workshop.”
Particularly important for us is the fact that hundreds of people gathered for the ceremony. The fact that the monument is now standing across from the building of the Philological Department of the Brest Pushkin State University is of particular importance. By the way, the park is located on Mickiewicz Street, which has a certain meaning of its own because it is well known that the friendship between Pushkin and Mickiewicz, their get-togethers in Moscow, their literary disputes and discussions of their outlook on the world are also a contribution to the social life of our common Fatherland. Next year, we plan to give Brest a copy of the high-relief panel, which is installed on a building outside the Moscow Mayor’s Office and is dedicated to Pushkin and Mickiewicz’ meeting in the Russian capital.
Question: Speaking of cultural ties we cannot ignore religious cooperation.
Dmitry Mezentev: Recently, the Russian Ministry of Culture with the support of the Belarusian Ministry of Culture and our Embassy opened the Days of Russia’s Spiritual Culture in the Republic of Belarus. I must admit it was hard to expect such an interesting and meaningful discussion in the House of Moscow in the centre of Minsk. It was attended by directors of museums and theatres, rectors from creative universities of both countries and directors of well-known music groups. We discussed the meaning of culture for the Slavic people, the role of the Orthodox religious tradition, and what should be done to motivate young people to see the world via books, performances and communication with the Church despite the current concerns, turmoil and global computerisation.
Question: We talk about the positive agenda of Russian-Belarusian relations, but recently the problem of Russian citizen Anna Bogacheva has created quite an uproar. What consequences might this have for relations between Russia and Belarus?
Dmitry Mezentsev: The “problem” you ask about was promptly resolved.
I would like to emphasise that the scale of our relations and orientation towards the future are of intransient value for the citizens of our countries. I am convinced that this is really true. I am also sure that we must particularly appreciate the interregional contacts that we discussed, and humanitarian and cultural cooperation, and personal relations between millions of people. We must not allow all this to be affected by momentary emotional considerations that are not always well-thought-out.
A lot of effort is going into drafting the 31st roadmap and the programme of action on the Union Treaty, which has already been initialed by Prime Minister Medvedev and his Belarusian counterpart Sergey Rumas. Various ministries and departments in our countries have verified and coordinated their positions. Work is underway to develop a modern, reliable and sustainable economy that is ready to take on challenges, to take into account each other’s advantages and to pursue national interests.
Why do we talk so little about this? Why does an accidental episode, which was explained by Belarusian law enforcement officials, attract so much attention? Maybe, today we must take a different approach to informing the public about the practice and prospects of bilateral relations?
Question: Okay, so what coming events in our humanitarian cooperation would you point to?
Dmitry Mezentsev: The Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate in Minsk opened a big book fair, “The Joy of Word.” This is an example of support for the Slavic, Orthodox tradition that unites the people of Russia and Belarus.
The programme presents unique books, works by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, other archbishops and clergymen and all those who think that religious education makes us spiritually wealthier and helps us see things in a more sincere way. This also applies to the question you asked me before.
