Belarus between East and West. Outline of the problem

The point of this article is to show Belarus selections between the eastern neighbor (Russia) and the West. This refers aspects functioning of the country such as economy, politics, military (security) or national identity. Being under the influence of Western civilization and largely Russian-Orthodox civilization, Belarus has difficulty to make clear choices. According to the „multi-sector” policy, for Belarus Russia is an important strategic partner but also individual western countries are too (Belarus depends mainly on cooperation in the economic sphere). The analysis of Belarusian politics shows that it turns to the Eastern direction, that is Russia: the most refers to the military (security), political-economic and cultural spheres. It can be observed large Russian influences (Belarusians still prefer the Russian language). Cooperation with the West is seen most often in the economic sphere, financial help, awarding grants whether project realization. On the other hand, cultural and political influences are perceived as interference in the internal affairs of the country and negatively evaluated by the current authorities. It is unlikely that the direction of cooperation will change during the current president’s government