The fact is that under Lukashenko’s administration, Belarus has enjoyed a degree of political stability, and in a country where the wounds of World War II run deep—when 2.2 million died out of a total population of 7 million—that type of stability can be key. Belarus has also prospered from a thriving economy, avoiding many of the pitfalls of capitalism experienced by other former Soviet republics in the 1990s. “If you take into consideration the economic potential of Belarus, it is big and the economy is running…. If you take 2004, we had [gross national product] growth of 11 percent. For the last year we had 8.6 percent, so it shows that there is a real growth of the economy in Belarus,” the ambassador said, noting that Belarus has captured 15 percent of the international market for tractors and 30 percent for heavy dump trucks. Over the next five years, the government also plans to further develop small- and medium-size enterprises. According to Khvostov, much of Belarus’s economic success can be attributed to the commanding authority of its president. “We are facing a difficult period of transition … because it’s really hard to transform the economy. It’s really hard to create new jobs, to pay people, workers, and during this difficult transition period, we will need a strong leader. Alexander Lukashenko is a strong leader.” As unapologetic as he is about Lukashenko’s firm ha nd, the ambassador is also not shy about praising Belarus’ strategic and steadfast ally, Russia. “The direction for Belarus is comprehensive cooperation with Russia” he said. “Russia is now a dedicated partner, neighbor and a friend,” Khvostov told a group of reporters at a Newsmakers luncheon at the National Press Club, although he dismissed the notion that the close ties with Russia signal any return to a Cold War-style schism between the East and West. “We do not choose the West or the East. We choose Belarus. Belarus, with its geography, history, economy, will be both in the West and East.” Jovial, friendly and approachable, Khvostov does not seem phased by the harsh criticism his country often receives from U.S. and EU officials, although he said the government will still try to pursue better relations with the West. However, he stressed that Belarus will do so on its own terms and not be bullied into a style of government that fits the Western mold of democracy. “We are interested in resuming full-scale dialogue with the U.S. and EU, but the powers of the West simply must understand we do not accept political pressure, threats or sanctions,” he said. “We cannot follow someone else’s prescriptions and instructions.” And in his own polite, diplomatic way, he believes others should sometimes mind their own business. “The people voted and foreign countries have nothing to do with it. If the European Union or the United States respect the people of Belarus, they should respect the choice of the people of Belarus. “Democracy is equivalent to freedom but democracy is also freedom of choice,” he added, quoting former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott: “Democracy by definition can never be controlled, in any country, under any circumstances. An implementation of democracy is a dictatorship by any definition. Democracy can only be a choice.” Khvostov also rejects the theory that Belarus might follow in the footsteps of Ukraine and its Orange Revolution. “Sometimes we are asked why Belarus cannot vote the way Georgia, Kyrgyzstan or Ukraine did a couple of years ago. The answer is very simple: because Belarus is Belarus. Belarus is not Georgia. Belarus is not Kyrgyzstan. Belarus will not be Ukraine. We have our own history. We have our own approaches to the economic development of the country. “The population is not interested in the type of revolution where everything provided by the government is taken away,” he continued, citing the country’s free access to university-level education. “And the problems in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan was that there were no answers from the governments of these countries toward the basic needs of the populations, and this wasn’t the case in Belarus, where you have a well-run economy and it is recognized by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. We took the way toward a social-oriented economy so the profits we have from the running economy are directed to support the people in need. That wasn’t the case with some other former Soviet Union states.” To that end, the ambassador is especially critical of outside interference in internal politics and what he views as a double standard, charging that some U.S. and OSCE officials were engaged in “politically motivated activities” before the elections to bolster the opposition while discrediting Lukashenko. “We do not have a sort of fear for the opposition, but it should be organized by itself not by the other countries coming to Belarus for political activities,” Khvostov said, arguing that foreign government involvement of political parties in the United States is likewise prohibited. And in another pointed jab at the United States, Khvostov talked about the importance of the United Nations as a balancing global force. “We truly believe that only the Security Council has the legitimacy to say whether a country can start a war. It’s really important for small countries like Belarus because being part of the United Nations, we feel like we’re even, independently of economic potential…. You cannot bring democracy into a foreign country by force. It will never happen.” Although profound divisions remain between Belarus and the United States, Khvostov—who served as first secretary in Washington and in the United Nations in New York during the early ’90s—said he “loves this country” and called the American people “open-hearted and friendly.” In particular, he thanked the Americans for their assistance in the wake of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the effects of which are still being felt in Belarus 20 years after the seeping radiation devastated the country’s agriculture. Despite all of the struggles, past and present, as well as all of the criticism, Khvostov is fiercely proud of all that his country has accomplished. “We do permanently insist on our own national interests and we do have our own vision of how things should develop locally, regionally and internationally. We are an independent country and we are a free country and we won this freedom during the last war with Germany. We lost a lot of people. So when we are hearing the appeal that Belarus should be free, that’s total nonsense. But we are also looking forward to having social order in the country.” Anna Gawel is managing editor of The Washington Diplomat and news columnist for The Diplomatic Pouch.

Would you like to become a WashDiplomat sponsor?