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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSK #0437/01 1441017
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241017Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6058
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 000437 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO OEXC SCUL PREL BO
SUBJECT: EUR DAS KRAMER'S MESSAGE RESOUNDS 
THROUGHOUT BELARUSIAN MEDIA 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.   (SBU) Local media coverage of DAS Kramer's 
recent visit to Minsk reflected primarily 
straightforward and opinion-free reporting.  A bit of 
vituperation was thrown in by Belarusian State TV, 
which commented in a manner consistent with its usual 
anti-American sentiment.  A lively element of public 
discussion could be found on local Internet forums, 
with the majority of contributors presenting rather 
sober commentary on the poor state of our bilateral 
relations.  End summary. 
 
Message Heard Loud and Clear 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Coverage of the April 23-25 visit appeared 
as early as the same day of the concluding press 
event and continues to appear because of major 
independents' infrequent printing schedules and a 
recently observed national holiday in Belarus.  As is 
quite typical of Belarusian non-state press, DAS 
Kramer's statements were conveyed accurately, with 
his remarks on key issues presented in their entirety 
or in block quotes.  Some of his comments, though, 
were covered more extensively than others.  The press 
was very interested in details of Mr. Kramer's 
unscheduled meeting with Presidential Administration 
Deputy Head Natalya Petkevich, speculating that 
Petkevich?s initiative to call the meeting 
demonstrated the regime?s willingness to make 
necessary political reforms.  This assumption was 
widely reflected in both the headlines and articles 
on DAS Kramer's visit, some even implying that "hush- 
hush" negotiations had taken place. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Journalists were equally interested in 
learning what measures the United States could take 
to acknowledge the potentially positive steps by 
Belarusian authorities or, on the other hand, 
penalize them for further crackdown on civil society 
and opposition.  DAS Kramer's answers outlining the 
two paths that are open for Belarusian authorities to 
take and spelling out the demands that the U.S. 
Government sees as a pre-requisite for positive steps 
on its part were, again, conveyed in the clearest 
terms by domestic independent media, oftentimes word 
for word.  One independent weekly used the 
opportunity to make a broader, even sarcastic, 
statement about Belarusian foreign policy.  Major 
quotes from independent media sources follow below. 
 
¶4.  (U) Independent analytical weekly BELGAZETA 
(rightist, circulation 22,000) ran the article 'For a 
Cup of Coffee' (unsigned) : "...The Department of 
State still puts forward certain demands and pledges 
some benefits should they be fulfilled.  The only 
novelty in the U.S.-Belarus relations is the informal 
meeting with Natalya Petkevich which can possibly 
demonstrate that Belarus is prepared if not to 
fulfill, but to listen to those demands at 
least...But when a U.S. official is issued a visa 
previously denied to him, it does not spell a change 
in policy with regard to the West.  And the meeting 
with this official at a cafe at the Belarusian 
initiative is by no means flirting with the U.S." 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Belarusian edition of the popular 
Russian tabloid KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA (published five 
days a week, circulation 50,000) placed on its front 
page a photograph of DAS Kramer in juxtaposition to a 
photograph of Petkevich.  The text in between the two 
pictures says, "What did the deputy head of the 
presidential administration and the U.S. official 
talk about."  The article by Oleg Ulevich on page 3 
has "Natalya Petkevich Invited David Kramer to Lunch" 
as the title.  The author lists the U.S. Government 
demands as presented by DAS Kramer: release of all 
political prisoners, dropping charges against all 
others, allowing Chernobylskiy Shlyakh ["Chernobyl 
Path" demonstration, held on April 26 each year] 
rally to take place peacefully, and the Congress of 
Democratic Forces to convene.  Ulevich concludes by 
mentioning that Kramer met with economic and 
political scientists, business people, students and 
opposition members, also saying that he refused to 
speak with state press, "not seeing them as 
responsible media." 
 
 
MINSK 00000437  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶6.  (U) Independent weekly SVOBODNIYE NOVOSTI PLUS 
(rightist, circulation 17,000) ran the unsigned 
article "Message from Washington, which emphasized 
that "the U.S. Government was not using all ways to 
put pressure on Belarusian authorities which are 
provided for in the Belarus Democracy Re- 
Authorization Act." 
 
¶7.  (U) Internationally known Belarusian NGO Charter 
'97 chose to stress in its report that the USG takes 
specific actions in fulfillment of its verbal 
warnings to the government of Belarus, quoting DAS 
Kramer saying that "I hope the government understands 
my words last year were not empty threats.  We've 
been hearing rhetorical statements about improving 
relations with the West for over several months.  But 
I don't think we've seen much evidence to suggest 
that there were specific steps to back that 
rhetoric." (The report in English can be found at 
http://charter97.org/eng/news/2007/04/25/kram er.) 
 
¶8.  (U) Other sources primarily quote from DAS Kramer 
without emphasizing any part of his message in 
particular.  Internet sources, such as naviny.by and 
tut.by, took the message to younger audiences, who do 
not rely on print outlets as the primary source of 
their information. 
 
Not Quite Right 
--------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) Major independent weekly BELORUSY I RYNOK 
(rightist, circulation 12,000, serious analytical) 
runs on page 4, cont'd page 5, the article "No 
Agreement Reached Yet" by Pavel Bykovskiy.  The 
author quotes extensively from David Kramer's press 
availability on April 25.  Meeting with government 
officials, members of opposition and representatives 
of civil society, students, families of political 
prisoners is "a typical schedule for Western 
diplomats.  One meeting, though, is of particular 
interest.  It took place at the Belarusian initiative 
and was not on the U.S. envoy's schedule.  Deputy 
Head of the Presidential Administration Natalya 
Petkevich invited the U.S. visitor to a cafe...David 
Kramer asked the journalists not to start jumping at 
conclusions based on the fact that such a meeting 
took place."  Narrating the U.S. Government position 
on what it would be prepared to do should Belarus 
concur with the demands it puts forward, Bykovskiy 
attributes to DAS Kramer what may be taken as a 
promise to lift the visa ban: 'The diplomat also said 
that should the U.S. demands be met, the list of 
people who are banned from entry in the United States 
may be reviewed and, possibly, lifted altogether.' 
 
Wait a Minute 
------------- 
 
¶10.  (U) In one of its evening PANARAMA news shows, 
Belarusian State TV called David Kramer "one of the 
State Department's clerks," and his statement "a 
straightforward threat to Belarus."  The reporter 
added that "Mr. Kramer's comment could have been 
ignored, if it did not involve an element of coarse 
blackmail."  He continued, adding "According to 
Kramer, if Belarus doesn't live up to U.S. 
expectations, America will not hesitate to increase 
pressure and economic sanctions against Belarusian 
exporters."  Quoting directly from DAS Kramer, he 
added "If they think that the situation cannot get 
worse, they are wrong," and concludes by opining that 
"Kramer, perhaps, fondly believes that somebody in 
Belarus would react to U.S. opinion.  This is not the 
first threat and it won't be the last." 
 
Message Reached a Larger Audience Than Expected 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Given that April 26 marked a tragic date 
for Belarus (the twenty-first anniversary of the 
Chernobyl accident) and that the last week of April 
was the time when Russia lost several personalities 
of enormous social and political standing (Yeltsin, 
Rostropovich, actor Kirill Lavrov; people who are 
recognized by Belarusians as much as Russians due to 
their shared Soviet history), the Embassy rates the 
interest of the press in DAS Kramer's visit as quite 
high.  Some idea of public interest in the visit can 
be gauged by the number of comments on local Internet 
 
MINSK 00000437  003 OF 003 
 
 
forums.  As just one example, there were 
approximately 20 comments to an announcement posted 
on Internet resource tut.by prior to DAS Kramer's 
visit.  One particular user challenged the 
significance of the visit, believing the level of the 
envoy to be too low.  "Who else could you reasonably 
expect after the Belarusian military downed a 
civilian balloon in 1995, killing two Americans," 
another forum user replied. 
 
Moore