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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000486 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON EPET ENRG BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - June 8, 2007 
 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by Embassy 
Minsk. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
- Opposition Protests Benefits Cuts for Children (para. 2) 
- Holocaust Memorial Unveiled at Former Ghetto Site (para. 3) 
- Youth Activists Receive Short Jail Sentences (para.4) 
- Catholics Petition GOB to Return Former Monastery (para. 5) 
- Youth Demonstrate For Release of Political Prisoners (para. 6) 
- Malady Front Applies for Registration (para. 7) 
 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
- Belarus' Foreign and Internal Debt Down (para. 8) 
- Industrial Overstock Up 40.2 Percent January-April (para. 9) 
- GOB Applies "Golden Share," Again (para. 10) 
 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
- Gazprom Receives 12.5 Percent of Beltransgaz (para. 11) 
 
- Quote of the Week (para. 12) 
 
CIVIL SOCIETY 
------------- 
 
¶2. Opposition Protests Benefits Cuts for Children 
 
On June 1, opposition activists staged an authorized rally in Brest 
to protest the GOB's decision to suspend benefits for small 
children.  Approximately 80 people participated in the demonstration 
and collected 60 signatures to petition the Supreme and 
Constitutional Courts to reexamine the decision. 
 
¶3. Holocaust Memorial Unveiled at Former Ghetto Site 
 
A Jewish community near Beryoz on June 3 unveiled a Holocaust 
memorial located on the site of the largest mass grave in Belarus, 
where Nazi troops executed 50,000 Jews.  A Los Angeles-based 
association of Jewish emigrants supported the project.  Ceremony 
attendees included delegations from Israel and the United States and 
local officials and residents. 
 
¶4. Youth Activists Receive Short Jail Sentences 
 
On June 4, authorities gave six youth activists short jail sentences 
for participating in an unsanctioned demonstration on June 1 
protesting the GOB's decision to suspend discounted bus fares and 
other social benefits for students.  Pavel Vinogradov and Pavel 
Markevich received five and three-day jail sentences, respectively, 
and immediately began a hunger strike to protest the court's 
verdict.  Activists Aleksandr Borzenko, Pavel Chumakov, Pavel 
Viltovsky, and Vadim Borovik received three days in jail, with 
Borovik also having to pay a USD 290 fine.  All activists have since 
been released. 
 
¶5. Catholics Petition GOB to Return Former Monastery 
 
By June 4, the St. Joseph Catholic community collected over 20,000 
signatures petitioning authorities to return the former Bernardine 
monastery buildings in central Minsk to the church.  Community 
activists launched the campaign on March 7 in protest of city plans 
to turn the monastery into a hotel and entertainment center.  The 
St. Joseph community has held regular prayer services at the site 
after first learning of reconstruction plans in 2004.  On May 28, 
the Minsk mayor announced that reconstruction would proceed as 
planned, since the building had not been used for worship in 142 
years.  The mayor "reassured" protesters that the reconstruction 
would in no way insult believers' religious faith. 
 
¶6. Youth to Demonstrate For Release of Political Prisoners 
 
On June 6, youth opposition activists applied to the Minsk city 
authorities for permission to stage rallies in Minsk on June 11 and 
17 to demand the release of political prisoners, particularly Malady 
Front (MF) leaders Dmitry Dashkevich and Artur Finkevich.  Activists 
want to hold the demonstrations in front of the BKGB building and 
Parliament in downtown Minsk in order to draw public attention to 
political prisoner cases. 
 
¶7. Malady Front Applies for Registration 
 
MF on June 6, in its sixth attempt, applied to the Ministry of 
Justice (MOJ) to register the organization.  MF leader Boris 
Goretsky said MF followed the MOJ's recommendations and submitted 
 
MINSK 00000486  002 OF 002 
 
 
revised paperwork to officials.  Should they be denied, Goretsky 
plans to appeal the decision. 
 
DOMESTIC ECONOMY 
---------------- 
 
¶8. Belarus' Foreign and Internal Debt Down 
 
The Finance Ministry on May 31 announced that Belarus' foreign debt 
decreased 1.4 percent in April to USD 842 million, with Belarus' 
biggest creditors being Germany, the World Bank, the U.S. and 
Russia. The country's internal debt decreased on the month by 1.7 
percent to USD 2.16 billion.  Annual internal debt decreased by 2.1 
percent of the GDP. 
 
¶9. Industrial Overstock Up 40.2 Percent in January-April 
 
The Ministry of Statistics on June 1 reported that the amount of 
unsold stock at Belarusian industrial companies increased 40.2 
percent in January-April to USD 1.66 billion.  Unsold stock in May 
accounted for 65.6 of monthly production, up 11.8 percent on 
January. 
 
¶10. GOB Applies "Golden Share," Again 
 
The GOB on June 4 issued a resolution to apply its "golden share" 
rule at a factory in the Grodno region. The factory, which produces 
locks, fell into debt in recent years.  Although the company's 
operations improved this year, the Ministry of Industry claimed that 
no further improvement was possible without significant GOB 
investment, which only state-owned businesses are eligible for.  The 
state currently owns 49 percent of the company, but will soon 
increase its share to 100 percent. 
 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
¶11. Gazprom Receives 12.5 Percent of Beltransgaz 
 
Belarus' State Property Committee on June 6 announced that the state 
energy monopoly Beltransgaz sold 12.5 percent of its shares to 
Russia's Gazprom for USD 625 million.  The purchase is the first of 
four payments under the May 18 Belarus-Russian agreement that would 
give Gazprom a 50 percent stake in the Belarusian energy concern by 
¶2010.  Within 50 days of each transfer, Beltransgaz's general staff 
will elect a Gazprom representative to the company's eight-member 
supervisory council. 
 
Quote of the Week 
----------------- 
 
¶12. In a June 1 interview with the independent newspaper Narodnaya 
Volya, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration (PA) Natalya 
Petkevich set the record straight about rumors of her replacing 
Gennadiy Nevyglas as Head of the PA. 
 
"To be honest, I do not want the position.  Honestly.  That position 
is not for me.  I think that Gregory Aleksyevich (Nevyglas) is still 
young and has enough energy.  Let him continue his work." 
 
STEWART