Chapter 303 Going to Minsk
In fact, they were able to set off at the end of February, but Pascal and his team unexpectedly encountered an unsolvable problem: their visas were denied!
Xiao Peng was very interested in the Black Sea shipwrecks. After all, the shipwrecks there were so well-preserved that many valuable treasures could be found. So, as was his custom, he wanted to research the ancient shipping routes of the Black Sea, including those of the surrounding countries.
After he told Ivan about this idea, Ivan introduced him to an expert, a history professor at Belarusian State University: Alexander Pavlovich Lukashenko.
Tsk tsk, he has the same surname as the President of Belarus. I wonder if there is any connection between the two.
This old professor was a typical old scholar, who only cared about his own research and had no contact with the Internet. If Xiao Peng wanted to consult him, he had to go to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, in person.
It should be a very simple thing to go to Belarus, but such a small thing has troubled many people: Pascal, Fabian, Walter, Bruch and Khedira were all denied visas!
That’s right, visa rejection!
There are three major organizations in Europe: the European Union, the Schengen Area, and the Eurozone. These three organizations are not the same thing.
The EU refers to the European countries that have joined the European Union; the Eurozone refers to the countries that use the euro currency. The Schengen Area refers to countries that have eliminated border checks, allowing you to travel freely to other Schengen countries with a visa from one country. It's possible for a country to be in the EU but use its own currency, while another country can be a Schengen member without being part of the EU.
For example, Ireland is a member of the EU and the euro, but not a Schengen country; Sweden, Denmark and other countries are both EU and Schengen countries, but not Euro countries; there are also countries like Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, which are not EU or Euro countries, but are Schengen countries.
What about Belarus? Although a European nation, it's often called "Europe's North Korea." Its strong Soviet influences make it neither a member of the EU, the Schengen Area, nor the Eurozone. It's one of the few European countries outside the three major organizations.
Although its neighbor Ukraine is not a Schengen country, it allows Schengen citizens to visit Ukraine for 14 days without a visa. Belarus does not have such policies.
This also has historical reasons: Belarus’s geographical location is too special.
Like Ukraine, Belarus was historically part of the Kievan Rus' principality. Both later became part of the former Soviet Union. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, both countries became a "buffer zone" adjacent to Europe, placing Belarus in an awkward position between the EU and Russia.
But compared to Ulan, who was deceived, Belarus' life is better.
In fact, many Chinese people don’t know anything about Belarus and think it is a part of Russia. Even the name "Belarus" is wrong.
When Chinese people talk about the names of European and American countries, they usually transliterate them. However, the transliteration of Belarusian nationality should be something like "Birearos". The word "Bela" in its name means "pure" or "white", so when it comes to China, it becomes Belarus.
This also makes Belarusians laugh and cry: they put the word "bela" in the country's name to tell everyone: we are the purest descendants of the Russians, but when we came to China, it became a country associated with Russia.
The translation into 'Belarus' is also more accurate than 'Belarus'.
Due to its geographical location, Belarus has always been surrounded by foreign powers, so it has never been an independent country in history. The history of Belarus is a history of being ruled by various countries. In history, it was ruled by Lithuania and Poland. In 1975, it was occupied by Tsarist Russia. After the establishment of the former Soviet Union, Belarus was incorporated into the former Soviet Union. It was not until the disintegration of the Soviet Union that Belarus truly became a country.
This country's developmental trajectory bears a striking resemblance to Russia's. After all, they too inherited a significant foundation of heavy industry from the Soviet era. Consequently, upon its founding, they implemented "shock therapy," tightening the monetary policy, liberalizing prices, and promoting privatization. The result was widespread destitution and a sharp decline in the economy. Since Lukashenko first came to power in 1994 and has been re-elected for six terms, Belarus's overall model has begun to align more closely with the Soviet Union. A large number of Belarusians still work in collective farms and state-owned enterprises. This is why Europeans nicknamed Belarus the "North Korea of Europe."
But Lukashenko's six-term reelection is a testament to his ability. After taking office, he signed an alliance treaty with Russia, which provided $10 billion in annual aid and abundant cheap energy, leading to a rapid economic recovery. While Belarus is considered poor in Europe, in Eastern Europe, it's far better off than its neighboring countries.
Russia's support for Belarus is also a form of "spending money to buy peace". Countries like Ukraine and Poland between Russia and Europe are all Western-oriented countries, and now Belarus is the last buffer zone between Russia and Europe. Without this buffer zone, Russia will face Europe directly, which is something they don't want to see.
Then why were Pascal and others denied visas?
It wasn't surprising that Walter and his group were denied visas: they were German, and they were military men. But even Pascal and his group were denied visas, which was a bit of a dilemma. It was all because Belarus was so strict about visas!
This situation is due to a major event that recently happened in Belarus: Lukashenko was re-elected for the sixth time. He won an overwhelming advantage, 80% of the votes, while his opponent only won a little over 10% of the votes.
However, this incident caused an uproar, and many people said that Lukashenko had cheated in the election, so the whole of Belarus became lively, especially in Minsk where large-scale protests occurred continuously, and the number of people arrested in a single protest could exceed 3,000!
The development of this matter is still a bit strange. Lukashenko has always had a good relationship with Russia, but during this period of time, he has been arresting Russians, saying that they are influencing the election and disrupting the situation in Belarus. . . .
Anyway, foreigners want to go to Belarus during this period? It is not easy, and the rejection rate is quite high.
Xiao Peng can go wherever he wants - Belarus has visa-free policy for Chinese people!
"No! We can't wait like this!" Xiao Peng jumped up from the sofa: "This is not a good way to pay money! Call everyone! We have to leave now!"
Pascal was dumbfounded. "Leaving now? Are you crazy?"
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