1998 press releases

4th Anniversary of President Clinton Visit to Belarus (Jan. 15, 1998)

Four years ago today, President Clinton visited Minsk, the first top-level U.S. official to visit Belarus since the 1970s. It was at a time when Belarus was decisively moving away from the legacy of totalitarian rule, a closed society, and a centrally-planned economy. Some people at the Embassy can still recall the excitement of working with the teams from Washington and the Belarusian authorities to make sure that this visit went smoothly and added to the mutual understanding. Indeed, we remember that time as a moment of unity and amity, with the visit by the U.S. President demonstrating our support to a nascent democracy, strained by the terrible toll of Chernobyl and transition-related problems.

As President Clinton stressed at the Academy of Sciences during his visit, he did not come here to tell Belarus what the solutions should be to the tough questions it faces as a nation. He spoke of the many challenges that Belarus had to face in its economic and political transition. Belarus is not alone in having to find a way to compete in a global economy, to address social problems such as unemployment and inequality and crime, to combine cultural and spiritual traditions with the demands of modern life, and to define a nation's security.

Belarus's aspirations and potential can best be realized if the country builds on the advantages it already possesses, such as geographical location, an educated workforce, hard-working and tolerant people, and high tech manufacturing capability, while working to create a more favorable and equitable investment climate, proceeding with economic reform, and promoting and improving observance of widely recognized human rights. With so many tough choices and growing problems, the key to long-term social stability is to foster open and healthy public debate and discussion as the country determines its future course.

The United States continues to want to see Belarus integrated into the broader European community. However, many challenges remain. True integration can only be realized if the political and economic system in Belarus is compatible with the rest of Europe. This is why further progress on political and economic reform is so important. Improving the system of checks and balances in government, fostering a more hospitable environment for dissent, increasing confidence and independence of the judicial system and reducing government control over the economy will pay rich dividends in terms of greater integration and economic cooperation with all of Europe, including Russia.

The vision of a prosperous, open, and democratic Belarus with strong ties to all of Europe is a shared vision, but the choice is Belarus's. Prosperity can only come through integration, but integration requires a greater degree of conformity with the economic and political system of Europe. For Belarus, the modernization of its political and economic system will not be easy, particularly for this generation. But the children of Belarus will benefit from the sacrifices that are made to develop Belarus into a modern European state.