Russian Foreign Ministry warning

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin called the words of Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwartzenberg "violent public pressure" when the latter connected Belarus's participation in Eastern Partnership with Minks's position towards Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's sovereignty.

At the EU Council session chaired by the Czech Republic Karel Schwartzenberg threatened that possible recognition of new Caucasian states would put Belarus "out of the European context". It was expected that the parliament of Belarus would decide on its position towards South Ossetia and Abkhazia in April. However when the spring session agenda was under elaboration it was decided to postpone this issue.

The Czech minister's outshot was officially commented by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Schwartzenberg's statement should be considered violent public pressure put by the EU chairmanship on Belarus. The inadmissible ultimatum forces Minsk to renounce the right of sovereign decision taking on crucial foreign policy issues for the sake of rapprochement with Europe", - the situation was commented by Grigory Karasin in his interview with Izvestia.

South Ossetia and Abkhazia have already reacted to the Czech representative of the EU. Both Foreign Ministries believe that Schwartzenberg's ultimatum "puts the process of Geneva consultations under the auspices of the European Union in jeopardy". And as Karasin added the position of the chairing Czech Republic "is contrary to the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan challenging the efficiency of the EU in settlement of the consequences of the August crisis caused by the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia".

It is noteworthy that it is the Czech Republic, one of the EU "new" members, came forward with a warning for Belarus. As experts say the opinion of the EU newcomers often does not coincide with the old-timers. The controversy between the "old" and "new" EU members was evident at the recent extraordinary summit in Brussels. Nine "novices" - Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia asked for a EUR 190 bln loan to fight the crisis. The answer was a categorical "no". "Old" Europe showed its unwillingness to "feed" ex countries of the Eastern Block.

However this decision has its political motives. "The new EU members virtually set themselves against "old" Europe becoming conductors of the American influence in the European Union", - Sergey Mikheev, Vice President of the Center of Political Technologies said in his interview with KM.RU commenting on the situation.

According to him it is well understood in Western Europe.

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