Minsk seeks Tbilisi’s assistance in settling relations with West

At the opening of the 2^nd session of the Belarusian-Georgian intergovernmental commission for trade and economic cooperation, the committee’s chairman, Belarus’ Agriculture and Foodstuffs Minister Leonid Zayats said that President Lukashenko was planning his first official visit to Georgia in April 2015. Belarus seeks to strengthen cooperation with other Post-Soviet countries in order to dilute the pressure from the Kremlin. The president may also be expecting a zealous reaction from the Kremlin, which could help him to obtain financial support in exchange for a demonstration of loyalty. In addition, the Belarusian authorities continue sending signals to Western capitals, implying that they seek to reduce Belarus’ dependence on Russia by increasing contacts with ’’pro-Western’’ Kiev and Tbilisi. They also expect Ukrainian and Georgian leaders to help normalising Belarus’ relations with the EU and the US.