[LINK] "Belarus Strongman Woos West, China, Snubs Calls for Shock Reform"

[rfmcdonald]

Belarus, as Bloomberg describes, continues to counterbalance different partners. Can it continue to do so indefinitely? What might give way first?

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, his country caught between the conflict in neighboring Ukraine and a recession in Russia, appealed to both Europe and Asia as he tries to finesse the crises sweeping the region.

“We will ensure the interests of both the East and the West in Belarus,” Lukashenko, in power since 1994, said Friday in the capital Minsk as he was sworn in for his fifth term. “Don’t try to rip us apart, don’t try to make us collide with Russia, or with the West.”

In need of financial aid after a currency devaluation and the collapse of its export markets, Belarus needs to pull off a balancing act that lures investors without alienating any competing foreign powers. Lukashenko signaled he’s ready to reboot ties with the U.S. and Europe, cooperate with Russia and continue building a “strategic” partnership with China, while saying he’ll keep Belarus free from outside pressure.

Belarus, which like Russia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, is attempting to rev up an economy that the International Monetary Fund predicts will contract the most of any ex-Soviet state in 2016. Lukashenko’s government is seeking about $3 billion from the IMF, whose mission is due in Minsk next week after repeatedly saying that Belarus needs to show its commitment to structural reforms at “the highest level” for new loan talks to be successful.