№ 9 (May - June 2019)
The index of Belarus’s relationship with Russia has rebounded all the way into the positive area from negative values. The developments throughout the analyzed period showed that Belarus and Russia are willing to have a compromise concerning the revision of the Union State Treaty. Their ambitions in the matter of integration tend to evolve towards realism.
The relationship with the European Union was still marked by the expansion of contacts and project cooperation, albeit in the absence of progress in politically significant negotiations.
In the China dimension, active preparations were underway for the forum for regional cooperation and development; collaboration with Chinese regions gained momentum.
Belarus’s relations with the United States show a trend that is similar to that European — an increase in the level of contacts, as well as in areas for engagement in the absence of significant breakthroughs in relations.
Contacts with Ukraine were ongoing against the backdrop of the recent change of power in Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelensky’s election compels Minsk to look for new approaches and revise the old mechanisms of cooperation. The focus of the new Ukrainian president on efforts to reduce tensions with the country’s neighbors suggests that collaboration can be intensified.
Amid growing militarization and opposition in the region, Belarus seeks to improve its relations with all sides of the confrontation. Minsk declares expanded involvement in peacekeeping operations, which will strengthen the international status of the country.
