VZCZCXRO1139
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSK #0100/01 0851847
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261847Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0191
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHSK/AMEMBASSY MINSK 0193

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 000100 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: BELARUS WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - MARCH 27, 2009 
 
MINSK 00000100  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by 
Embassy Minsk. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
- March 25 Protest Passes Without Violence (para. 2) 
- Military Court Dismisses Forced Conscription Appeal (para. 3) 
- Opposition Youth Leader Fined (para. 4) 
- Convicted Opposition Youth Slapped (para. 5) 
 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
- Russian Finance Minister Kudrin on Russia-Belarus Financial 
Relations (para. 6) 
- Russia Ratifies Transit Agreement Between Russia's and 
Belarus' Customs Offices 
(para. 7) 
- Lukashenka Discusses Economic Cooperation with Abkhazia 
(para. 8) 
 
Foreign Trade 
------------- 
 
- Belarus Working to Remove Restrictions Imposed by Trade 
Partners (para. 9) 
- Belarus Seeks to Synchronize WTO Accession with Russia (para. 
10) 
 
Quote of the Week (para. 11) 
---------------------------- 
 
------------- 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
¶2.  March 25 Protest Passes Without Violence 
 
About 1,000 persons assembled peacefully at the Academy of 
Sciences by 6:00 pm local time March 25 to mark the 91st 
anniversary of Belarus' (initial) declaration of independence. 
Police presence in the immediate vicinity was very light; only 
uniformed traffic police.  Diplomatic observers included the 
Lithuanian and Polish Ambassadors, OSCE Head of Office, Swedish, 
British, French and U.S. chargis, and Czech, Latvian, Estonian 
and U.S. diplomats.  Organizations including Maladaya Belarus 
(MB), Malady Front (MF), Belarusian Christian Democracy, United 
Civic Party, For Freedom, Belarusian Popular Front,  and the 
Party of the Forces of the Right were present. 
 
Around 7:00, about 10-15% of the group (MB and MF) left the 
Academy, heading in the proscribed direction (towards October 
Square) rather than towards Bangalore Square (the approved 
destination).  Traffic police did not stop them.  A much larger 
group of police in full riot gear blocked this group's progress 
in the direction of October Square.   The protestors then 
returned to the Academy of Sciences.  No detentions were 
reported in Minsk.  The Interior Ministry immediately released a 
statement that the demonstrators have violated traffic and mass 
events regulations and provoked possible clashes with police. 
The Ministry has also asserted that it will make a legal 
assessment of demonstrators' actions, which included burning 
pictures of President Lukashenka. 
 
¶3.  Military Court Dismisses Forced Conscription Appeal 
 
A Minsk military court dismissed March 23 an appeal regarding 
Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) youth group leader Franak 
Vyachorka's forced conscription and the use of violence against 
him during "illegal" draft procedures in January 2009.  The 
court refused to open a criminal case in connection with the 
beating of Vyachorka and his enlistment into the army. 
Vyachorka's father Vintsuk, Deputy Chairperson of the BPF, 
called the verdict "predictable". 
 
¶4.  Opposition Youth Leader Fined 
 
On March 23, a Minsk district court tried and fined Maladaya 
Belarus opposition youth group leader Artur Finkevich $180 on 
administrative charges of "minor hooliganism".  Police detained 
Finkevich March 20 for allegedly using obscenities. 
 
¶5.  Convicted Opposition Youth Slapped 
 
Police issued two warnings March 23 and March 26 to Alyaksandr 
Barazenka, a European Belarus movement activist sentenced to a 
year of partial house arrest in December 2008 for participating 
in unsanctioned January 10, 2008, entrepreneur demonstration, 
for purportedly violating terms of his sentence and abusing 
alcohol.  On March 23, a police officer also insulted Barazenka 
 
MINSK 00000100  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
and slapped him in the face.  The activist complained to the 
prosecutors regarding officer's conduct; however, he expressed 
doubt that the appeal would "yield any results".  Barazenka 
might face criminal charges and up to three years in jail after 
the third police warning. 
 
---------------- 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
¶6.  Russian Finance Minister Kudrin on Russia-Belarus Financial 
Relations 
 
According to media reports, Russia' Vice Premier/Finance 
Minister Aleksey Kudrin reiterated on March 20 that Russia will 
issue the remaining part of its $2 billion loan to Belarus 
shortly.  He told the joint session of Russia's and Belarus' 
Finance Ministries that $500 million will come to Belarus once 
Russia amends its 2009 budget.  "We will always help and support 
our neighbors", said Kudrin about Russia's assistance to 
Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.  He noted that Russia will 
review the recent China-Belarus currency swap agreement and 
opined that the introduction of a single currency for Russia and 
Belarus would be inexpedient in the time of crisis. 
 
¶7.  Russia Ratifies Transit Agreement Between Russia's and 
Belarus' Customs Offices 
 
According to press reports, Russia's State Duma ratified the 
Transit Agreement between the Customs offices of Russia and 
Belarus March 20.  The agreement, signed in June 2007 and 
ratified by the Belarusian parliament in December 2007, 
established equal conditions for goods transiting customs 
territories of both countries and streamlined all related 
regulations and paperwork. 
 
¶8.  Lukashenka Discusses Economic Cooperation with Abkhazia 
 
Presidential press service reported on March 23 that Lukashenka 
received the so-called "president" of the breakaway republic of 
Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh on the same day in Sochi to discuss 
economic cooperation.  Lukashenka expressed readiness to help 
Abkhazia solve its economic problems.  In turn, the Abkhazian 
leader assured that he is ready to allocate $30 million this 
year to purchase Belarusian-made trucks.  Although during the 
meeting Lukashenka referred to Abkhazia as an independent state, 
the press service report provided no indication of whether the 
parties discussed recognition of Abkhazia's independence. 
 
------------- 
Foreign Trade 
------------- 
 
¶9.  Belarus Working to Remove Restrictions Imposed by Trade 
Partners 
 
Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Yevdochenko told a seminar on 
foreign trade issues March 24 that the GOB is working hard to 
remove restrictions and limitations imposed by the governments 
of the U.S., Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Turkey, India and the 
EU in trade with Belarus.  Such measures have in the first place 
affected Belarus' chemical, food, metal and light industries. 
The GOB ascribes $170 million in export revenues growth in 2008 
to its anti-restriction efforts, though it admits the country 
could have exported at least $70 million more had these efforts 
been more effective.  Starting January 1, the EU canceled 13 out 
of 33 limitations on Belarus' textile exports.  Ukraine and 
Moldova have removed a few anti-dumping quotas on Belarusian 
products.  The Deputy Minister also opined that Belarus' 
inclusion in the EU's Eastern Partnership will expedite the 
removal of all remaining limitations, except those introduced by 
the USG against the state-owned petrochemical conglomerate 
Belneftekhim. 
 
¶10.  Belarus Seeks to Synchronize WTO Accession with Russia 
 
Speaking at the same event March 24, Deputy Foreign Minister 
Andrei Yevdochenko stressed that synchronizing WTO accession 
efforts with Russia is of vital importance for Belarus, as both 
countries routinely touch base on the issue in a special format 
and "keep our foreign partners posted".  He added that even if 
Russia and Belarus accede to the WTO separately, the timelines 
should be close because otherwise integration efforts of both 
countries may be complicated. 
 
----------------- 
Quote of the Week 
----------------- 
 
¶11.  Speaking at the news conference in Minsk March 24, Deputy 
Defense Minister General Aleksandr Boligatov promised that 
Belarusian soldiers will eat a higher quality food by the end of 
the year. 
 
MINSK 00000100  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
"Today's cost of a soldier's daily meal is BYR 6,380 ($2.28) per 
day.  This amount covers all nutritional needs.  The meal 
includes, among other things, juices and various vegetables. 
So, servicemen receive sufficient amount of vitamins and 
minerals".  The general also opined that such meals are 
well-balanced and any other food brought to servicemen by their 
parents (except for sweets and multivitamins) would be redundant. 
MOORE