VZCZCXRO8454
RR RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSK #1290/01 3530530
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190530Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5446
INFO RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 001290 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - DECEMBER 15, 2006 
 
REF:  MINSK 1245 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by Embassy 
Minsk. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 
----------------------- 
 
- Lukashenko, Putin Meet in Moscow (para. 2) 
- Sudanese Foreign Minister to Visit (para. 3) 
- Chinese Military Delegation Arrives in Minsk (para. 4) 
- GOB and UNICEF Discuss Cooperation (para. 5) 
- Europeans Urge GOB to Release Kozulin (para. 6) 
- MP Gaydukevich Appointed MFA Special Representative (para. 7) 
 
CIVIL SOCIETY 
------------- 
 
- Activist Fined for Distributing Newspaper (para. 8) 
- Factory Workers Walk Out Over Low Pay (para. 9) 
- Polish Community's Magazine Editor Jailed (para. 10) 
- Paper Mill Employees Not to Quit Trade Union (para. 11) 
- Dranchuk Expected to be Paroled on December 22 (para. 12) 
 
ELECTIONS 
--------- 
 
- UCP Leader Lebedko Registered for Election (para. 13) 
- Only Five Oppositionists Registered in Gomel (para. 14) 
 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT 
---------------------------------- 
 
- Russia to Apply Export Duty on Petroleum (para. 15) 
- Price of Electricity Imports to Increase (para. 16) 
 
DOMESTIC ECONOMY 
---------------- 
 
- Product Labeling Requirement Comes Into Force (para. 17) 
 
- QUOTE OF THE WEEK (para. 18) 
 
----------------------- 
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 
----------------------- 
 
¶2.   Lukashenko, Putin Meet 
 
On December 15, President Lukashenko traveled to Moscow to meet 
with Vladimir Putin.  They attended a session of the Supreme 
State Council of the Belarusian-Russian Union State to discuss 
the Union State's 2007 budget.  According to initial press 
reports, bilateral discussions offered no indication that Russian 
energy resources will continue to be available at the currently 
low prices. 
 
¶3.   Sudanese Foreign Minister to Visit 
 
On December 14, Belarusian MFA Spokesman Andrey Popov announced 
that Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol Ajawin is to arrive in 
Belarus on December 17.  Ajawin is expected to meet with top- 
ranking Belarusian officials, visit large industrial enterprises 
and sign a number of bilateral agreements during his five-day 
stay in Belarus. 
 
¶4.   Chinese Military Delegation Arrives in Minsk 
 
A delegation of the People's Liberation Army of China, led by 
deputy commander of the Beijing military district Colonel General 
Fu Tinggui, visited Minsk December 8-11 to develop military 
cooperation between Belarus and the People's Republic of China. 
Tinggui met with Defense Minister Leonid Maltsev and visited the 
Military Academy of Belarus. 
 
¶5.   GOB and UNICEF Discuss Cooperation 
 
GOB officials and representatives of the United Nations 
Children's Fund (UNICEF) met at the MFA December 8.  Deputy 
Foreign Minister Viktor Gaysenok stated that strategies on 
healthcare, food, and water access for children, as well as 
UNICEF's mid-term strategic plan for 2006 through 2009 had been 
adopted by Belarus.  Gaysenok also claimed an important role in 
UNICEF Executive Board's decision to simplify and harmonize the 
rules and procedures of country program implementation and 
reporting. 
 
¶6.   Europeans Urge GOB to Release Kozulin 
 
 
MINSK 00001290  002 OF 003 
 
 
On December 9, the German Embassy in Minsk issued a statement on 
behalf of the EU Presidency citing the 25-nation bloc's deep 
concern over Aleksandr Kozulin's health.  The European Union also 
called on the Belarusian authorities to "promptly release" the 
former presidential candidate and renewed a request to visit 
Kozulin in jail.  On December 14, independent media reported that 
the Czech MFA called for Kozulin's release and for immediate 
medical assistance from the Belarusian authorities. 
 
¶7.   MP Gaydukevich Appointed MFA Special Representative 
 
On December 14, Belarusian Foreign Minister Martynov appointed 
leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Sergey Gaydukevich as 
special representative for relations with European parliamentary 
organizations.  His stated task is to establish contacts with 
European legislative and executive bodies while maintaining his 
seat in parliament. Gaydukevich -- who was a nominal "opposition" 
candidate for President in March 2006 but is close to the regime 
-- is on the EU's visa ban list, and told media that he was 
unsure as to when he would leave for Brussels. 
 
------------- 
CIVIL SOCIETY 
------------- 
 
¶8.   Activist Fined for Newspaper Distribution 
 
On December 8, police fined opposition activist Boris Khamaida 
for distributing newspapers in an "unauthorized place."  Khamaida 
was selling Vitebsky Kuryer, Narodnaya Volya, Nasha Niva, Svaboda 
and the magazine Arche, as well as several copies of articles by 
Zenon Poznyak near the regional government building in the center 
of Vitebsk.  Khamaida has been fined several times this year for 
similar alleged violations.  He continued to sell papers after 
the latest trial. 
 
¶9.   Factory Workers Walk Out Over Low Pay 
 
On December 8, approximately 25 employees of a footwear factory 
in Vitebsk walked off the job demanding a raise.  They resumed 
work later that day, but according to one striker plan to 
negotiate with the company's administration next week.  The 
company's administration told reporters that there had been no 
strike and that those employees who were not working were on 
their "lunch break." 
 
¶10.  Polish Community's Magazine Editor Jailed 
 
On December 13, authorities sentenced "Magazyn Polski" magazine 
layout editor Aleksei Salei to seven days in jail on charges of 
petty hooliganism and disobeying police officers after being 
arrested.  Salei had left his office on December 12 when several 
plainclothes police officers arrested him and forced him into a 
vehicle.  Neither family nor co-workers knew of his arrest until 
Salei's mother attempted to file an abduction complaint with the 
local authorities.  The magazine's staff has backed Anzelika 
Borys, an activist considered by Poland as the legitimate chair 
of the Union of Belarusian Poles. 
 
¶11.  Paper Mill Employees Not to Quit Trade Union 
 
On December 11, independent media reported that approximately 119 
employees of a state-run paper mill in Dobrush, Gomel region 
(reftel) decided not to quit the pro-government Forestry Industry 
Workers Union after management promised to increase pay and leave 
for employees engaged in hazardous work.  Management also agreed 
to pay wages on time and make amendments to rules governing wage 
pay rates for basic and overtime working hours.  A total of 130 
employees had filed an application for withdrawal from the trade 
union. 
 
¶12. Dranchuk Expected to be Paroled on December 22 
 
On December 14, independent media reported that a supervisory 
commission of Minsk's Frunzensky District Executive Committee 
decided to release political prisoner Timofey Dranchuk on parole 
on December 22.  The Frunzensky District Court will need to 
approve the decision formally.  Timofey Dranchuk was sentenced to 
prison with Nikolay Astreiko, Aleksandr Shalaiko and Enira 
Bronitskaya on August 4, 2006 on charges of running the 
unregistered election observation organization "Partnerstvo" 
(Partnership). 
 
--------- 
ELECTIONS 
--------- 
 
¶13.  UCP Leader Lebedko Registered for Election 
 
On December 14, independent media reported that senior member of 
the union of democratic forces and leader of the United Civic 
 
MINSK 00001290  003 OF 003 
 
 
Party Anatoly Lebedko was registered as a candidate for the Minsk 
city council.  He expects to face two pro-government candidates. 
Lebedko's party nominated him after authorities denied 
registration to his nomination group. 
 
 
¶14.  Only Five Oppositionists Registered in Gomel 
 
On December 14 independent media reported that the Gomel city 
election commission granted five out of 21 opposition nominees 
registration to compete for seats on the City Soviet.  The 
candidates include two members of the United Civic Party, a 
member of each of the Belarusian Popular Front, the Conservative 
Christian Party and the Belarusian Party of Communists.  The 16 
other candidacies were allegedly denied for fraudulent data or 
signatures. 
 
---------------------------------- 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶15.  Russia to Apply Export Duty on Petroleum 
 
On December 13, independent media reported on Russia's decision 
to apply full export duties on crude oil and petroleum products 
bound for Belarus.  Chairman of the Standing Committee on 
Industry Anatoliy Pavlovich stated that the December 12 decree by 
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov undermines the very idea 
of the Belarusian-Russian Union State.  Pavlovich claimed the 
decision would "complicate the situation" both within Belarus and 
between the two nations. 
 
¶16.  Price of Electricity Imports to Increase 
 
On December 13, following Ukraine's warning to Belarus that it 
would cut electricity supplies to the country on January 1 if an 
agreement to pay a higher price was not met, Ukrainian Fuel and 
Energy Ministry Spokesman Mikhailo Hryshchenko announced that a 
preliminary agreement had been reached.  With electricity 
currently being sold to Belarus at the lowest price of all 
importers (USD .021/kWh), Ukraine felt the need to end the 
"subsidy."  The preliminary agreement sets the price at Ukraine's 
domestic price of USD .04 for the first six months of 2007. 
Belarus imported 2.5 billion kWh of electricity from Ukraine last 
year and had planned, before the increase, to maintain the level 
of imported power. 
 
---------------- 
DOMESTIC ECONOMY 
---------------- 
 
¶17.  Product Labeling Requirement Comes Into Force 
 
On December 8, a new requirement for labeling footwear, tea, 
coffee, mobile phones, audio and videotapes, CDs and DVDs with 
supplier identification marks came into effect.  The requirement, 
issued in May by the Council of Ministers, intends to stop 
illegal imports and increase tax revenues.  Failure to label 
products with a supplier identification mark, which costs USD 
.009, is punishable by a fine of up to USD 290.40. 
 
----------------- 
QUOTE OF THE WEEK 
----------------- 
 
¶18.  MP Suggests Sterilizing Alcoholic Parents 
 
On December 10, lawmaker Viktor Kuchinsky advocated the forced 
sterilization and transfer of alcoholic parents to "special 
camps" in the Chernobyl exclusion zone on the following grounds: 
 
"Those born to drink will never become sober.  An important thing 
is to stop fearing to raise problems that require a surgical 
rather than medical intervention." 
 
STEWART