VZCZCXRO2735
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHSK #0787/01 2081057
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271057Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4787
INFO RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0019
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USMISSION USEU 0121
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1232
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000787 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD VE BO
SUBJECT: LUKASHENKO FINDS A NEW FRIEND IN HUGO CHAVEZ 
 
MINSK 00000787  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  On July 23-25, Lukashenko hosted Venezuelan President 
Hugo Chavez in Minsk, marking the first official visit of a Latin 
American leader in Belarus' history.  During the series of meetings 
and ceremonies, the leaders lauded each other's political and 
economic policies and occasionally shared criticism of their common 
enemy, the U.S.  The state media's extensive coverage portrayed 
Chavez as an important world leader and his visit as a significant 
milestone for Belarus' influence in Latin America.  The "strategic 
partnership" the two leaders signed called for increased 
cooperation in science, agriculture, and petroleum spheres and for 
the development of a Venezuelan-Belarusian commission responsible 
for creating joint projects.  Although the agreements on bilateral 
trade did not differ much from those Belarus makes with other 
"friendly" nations in the Middle East and Africa, Chavez's 
strikingly similar style of government has paved the way for 
increased bilateral cooperation for each other's political and 
economic policies.  End Summary. 
 
The Brothers Meet 
----------------- 
 
¶2. In the evening of July 23, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez 
arrived in Minsk for a three-day visit (although a day later than 
scheduled) to a red carpet welcome with military fanfare and was 
greeted by Prime Minister Sergey Sidorsky and Minister of Foreign 
Affairs Sergey Martinov.  On July 24 at the Presidential 
Administration, which was clad in Venezuelan and Belarusian flags, 
an eager President Aleksandr Lukashenko greeted Chavez with an 
emotional handshake and an awkward hug.  After standing at 
attention to both countries' national anthems and watching soldiers 
march past, Lukashenko and Chavez began their negotiations in a 
"one on one" conversation in which they praised each other's 
leadership.  Chavez told Lukashenko he had come to Belarus to 
express Venezuela's solidarity with Lukashenko and thanked Belarus 
for supporting Venezuela's government.  He expressed to Lukashenko 
his happiness to be in Belarus and claimed his goal was to form a 
"pact of unity" with his new friend Lukashenko and to "lay the 
foundation stone" for future relations.  Lukashenko noted there 
were many opportunities for a partnership and no closed topics 
between Belarus and Venezuela. 
 
¶3. Lukashenko and Chavez later held a roundtable discussion with 
Lukashenko's top cabinet members and Chavez's delegation. 
Lukashenko praised Chavez's "extensive knowledge" of Venezuelan and 
Belarusian economics and defense and expressed happiness that 
Venezuela was ready to establish bilateral agreements with Belarus. 
Chavez lauded Lukashenko for averting a color revolution, claiming 
that "they" [the U.S.] also try to create such revolutions in 
Venezuela and stressed that multi-polarity would save the world 
from madness, Nazism, warfare, aggression, and color revolutions. 
Lukashenko responded, adding that media outlets [controlled by the 
West] distort the actual situation in a country and misrepresent 
their heads of state.  Chavez went further stating that Venezuelans 
and their Belarusian "friends and brothers" would not be "deceived" 
or "colonized" and would defend citizens' interests from those of 
the "demonic capitalists."  [Note: Before arriving in Belarus, 
Chavez told reporters that he and Lukashenko share a common enemy.] 
 
A Strategic Partnership Signed 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. At the end of the negotiations, Chavez and Lukashenko signed a 
joint declaration for a long-term "strategic partnership" in 
sciences, technologies, energy, and petrochemicals that included 
provisions for bilateral consultations between Belarusian and 
Venezuelan ministries and parliaments on scientific, technical, and 
agriculture innovation.  The partnership also called for the 
creation of a Belarusian-Venezuelan high-level commission that 
would develop bilateral projects in the economic, scientific, 
technical, and energy spheres.  [Note: Lukashenko's Presidential 
Administration later that day announced that Head of Belarus' 
Security Council Viktor Sheiman would co-chair the commission.] 
Chavez, interested in improving Venezuelan agriculture and house 
construction, noted he would like to import Belarusian trucks, 
tractors, and fertilizers and other Belarusian equipment.  Belarus' 
technology, according to Chavez, would help Venezuela quickly 
modernize its industry.  Chavez also indicated that Venezuela was 
ready to purchase Belarusian extraction and refining equipment to 
develop Venezuela's oil industry and increase imports of Belarusian 
potash fertilizer. 
 
In Honor of Bolivar 
------------------- 
 
¶5. On July 25, Lukashenko held a ceremony for Chavez at the 
Military Academy in honor of the birthday of Venezuela's hero, 
Simon Bolivar.  Lukashenko told Chavez it was a great honor to 
 
MINSK 00000787  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
share in the celebration of Venezuela's "great son" on Belarusian 
land.  He lauded Venezuela for choosing its own path to freedom and 
independence and for creating economic and political conditions 
that secure Venezuela's sovereignty.  Lukashenko expressed thanks 
to the Venezuelan people for its contribution to the anti-Nazi 
campaign in WWII and hoped Belarusian-Venezuelan relations would be 
long term.  According to Lukashenko, both countries share the same 
interest in securing a higher standard of living, maintaining 
national security, and developing the economy.  Lukashenko again 
castigated the West and U.S. for their "unprecedented" pressure and 
attempts to force Belarus and Venezuela to adopt "alien ideology 
and morals" and "pseudo-economic reforms."  The Belarusian 
President commented that the West accuses countries like Belarus 
and Venezuela of abusing human rights and hindering democracy 
simply because their countries refused to accept the West's model 
of development and chose to build their home without "foreign 
architects and contractors."  Lukashenko said each state has a 
right to follow the course chosen by its people and Belarus and 
Venezuela would defend this "sacred" right by all available means. 
 
¶6. Chavez expressed satisfaction with the strategic alliance 
Belarus and Venezuela had formed during his visit and added to 
Lukashenko's scathing of the U.S.  Chavez reiterated that it was 
vital for Venezuela and Belarus to resist internal and external 
threats and defend their political and economic course, which are 
efficient and aimed at creating a multi-polar world.  He accused 
the U.S. and "certain" historians of describing the 20th century as 
"America's Century" in an attempt to erase history.  Chavez 
remarked that the 20th century was one of great revolutions.  After 
the Soviet Union's collapse, the U.S. declared capitalism and the 
free market economy as the victors over socialism and the 
sovereignty of nations and tried to expand its hegemony and empire 
over Belarus and Venezuela.  Chavez added that sovereignty and 
socialism would never die. 
 
GOB Hopes For South American Business 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. PM Sidorsky told reporters at the airport following Chavez's 
departure for Moscow that Venezuela and Belarus would start joint 
projects in the construction sector and that Belarusian experts 
would soon be sent to Venezuela.  First Deputy Prime Minister 
Vladimir Semashko noted that Venezuela and Belarus in 2007 would 
boost trade to USD 1 billion and develop large projects in oil 
production and fertilizers. [Note: Trade with Venezuela in 2005 
totaled USD 15.5 million, but only USD 6,000 by the end of the 
first half of 2006.]  According to Semashko, oil refined in the 
western hemisphere is sold at USD 485-490 per ton, which would 
bring a large profit for Belarusian-refined crude from Russia. 
Semashko also expected Belarus to increase its potash fertilizer 
exports to Venezuela ten-fold to 500,000 tons per year and create a 
joint-project factory in Venezuela that would produce fertilizers. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. The state media provided endless coverage of Chavez's visit to 
Belarus, showing pictures of Lukashenko and Chavez embracing each 
other under such headlines as "Friendship From The Heart" and "Axis 
Of Kindness And Creation."  Lukashenko could not hide his happiness 
to host Chavez, the first South American leader in Belarus and 
Lukashenko's brother-in-arms against the U.S.  Head of State visits 
to Minsk, including those from the CIS, are rare for Lukashenko, so 
each one is considered a holiday for the GOB.  The agreements 
reached between Belarus and Venezuela do not differ from previous 
agreements made between Belarus and pariah states like Iran, Syria, 
and Sudan.  The GOB did not hide its interest in finding a place in 
Venezuela's oil industry or using the country as a springboard for 
expanding Belarusian exports to other South American countries. 
More importantly, Lukashenko found a friend in Chavez, whose 
behavior mirrored that of Lukashenko's, and the Belarusian leader 
will likely accept Chavez's invitation to visit Venezuela in the 
near future. 
 
PHLIPOT