Thank you, gentlemen.
You are giving us more information about a regime that is frankly very little known in the west. Your description sends chills up the spine, so to speak. Basically, power is concentrated in the hands of one person.
First, in terms of the nature of Belarus society, are you finding what they found in Russia, that private concerns have taken over the capital that was once in the hands of the state? Or is it still a state economy? I think that this is a very pertinent question because he who holds economic power generally holds the rest directly or indirectly.
Could you tell me about Belarus' economic system? You also mentioned the close ties with the government of Russia. A few years ago, we heard media reports that President Lukashenko was practically advocating a merger of the two countries, of Russia and Belarus. That plan did not work.
Could you shed some light on why Russia declined, as it were, to swallow up a smaller neighbour. It is not clear what danger this could have for Russia, but perhaps you see one. If so, could you explain it?
Perhaps it would help if the pressure we exert were not only on the Lukashenko regime, but also on Russia itself. How helpful do you think that would be?