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Viewing cable 07MINSK689, EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - August 10, 2007

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07MINSK689 2007-08-10 12:38 2011-08-26 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Minsk
VZCZCXRO7214
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSK #0689/01 2221238
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101238Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6358
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 000689 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON ENRG BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - August 10, 2007 
 
1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by Embassy 
Minsk. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
- Malady Front Appeals Registration Denial (para. 2) 
- Human Rights Group to Assist Political Victims (para. 3) 
- Minsk Authorities Deny Application for Demonstration (para. 4) 
- Catholics and Protestants Pray Together In Grodno (para. 5) 
- Svetlogorsk Merchants Protest Audits and Seizures (para. 6) 
- Teen Charged with Working for Unregistered Group (para. 7) 
 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
- Belarus' Reserves up 76 Percent through July (para. 8) 
- Belarus Sixth of Eight in CIS GDP Growth (para. 9) 
 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
- Iranian Parliamentarians Visit Minsk (para. 10) 
- Iranian Company to Invest USD 100 million (para. 11) 
- Chavez Confirms Belarus Applied for Loan (para. 12) 
- Belarus to Continue Talks with Russia over Loan (para. 13) 
 
- Quote of the Week (para. 14) 
 
------------- 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
2.  Malady Front Appeals Registration Denial 
 
The opposition youth organization Malady Front (MF) filed an appeal 
with the Minsk City Court on August 3, challenging its latest 
registration denial.  The court announced the denial on July 10 
ostensibly due to "errors" in the MF charter.  MF spokesperson Boris 
Goretskiy asserted the group will keep applying for registration 
despite the bureaucracy and GOB's pretexts for denial. 
 
3.  Human Rights Group to Assist Political Victims 
 
Opposition and civil society members met on August 3 and announced 
plans to create a database of persecuted political activists.  The 
group's co-founder and prominent human rights advocate Igor 
Rynkevich maintained that the group will provide assistance to 
activists facing criminal and administrative charges or police 
detention.  Rynkevich said that the victims should be entitled to 
compensation by a post-Lukashenka government.  The group also issued 
a statement protesting recent repression of opposition youth 
activists. 
 
4.  Minsk Authorities Deny Application for Demonstration 
 
On August 7, Minsk officials rejected an application by the "For 
Freedom" movement to hold demonstrations in solidarity with 
political prisoners held by the government of Belarus.  The official 
reason given was that the requested locations were unavailable due 
to preparations for Minsk's 940th anniversary celebration. 
 
5.  Catholics and Protestants Pray Together in Grodno 
 
On August 8, approximately 70 Catholics and Protestants, including 
Uniates, joined together in collective prayer for freedom of 
conscience in Belarus and the preservation of certain historical 
sites in Grodno.  Organizers plan to hold similar prayer sessions on 
a monthly basis. 
 
6.  Svetlogorsk Merchants Protest Audits and Seizures 
 
On August 6, approximately 150 market vendors held a protest in the 
central square of Svetlogorsk, Gomel oblast, in response to a recent 
wave of unscheduled audits and seizures of thousands of dollars 
worth of merchandise.  Government agents from tax, sanitation and 
other agencies conducted the raids.  Local officials said that these 
actions were part of a move by the regional organized crime 
department to combat racketeering and corrupt officials.  The 
protestors called on vendors throughout Belarus to participate in a 
nationwide strike on September 1. 
 
7.  Teen Charged with Working for Unregistered Group 
 
On August 7, authorities charged Anastasiya Azarka, an 18-year old 
Malady Front activist from the city of Nesvizh, Minsk Oblast, with 
acting on behalf of an unregistered political organization.  As 
noted above in para 2, authorities have continued to reject the 
 
MINSK 00000689  002 OF 003 
 
 
registration application of MF since its creation over a decade ago. 
 Several of its members are currently facing sentences similar to 
Azarka's or are serving prison terms for MF-related activities.   If 
convicted, Azarka faces fines or imprisonment for up to two years 
under Article 193-1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code. 
 
---------------- 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
8.  Belarus' Reserves up 76 percent through July 
 
According to the data posted on Belarus' National bank website, the 
country's hard currency and gold reserves increased 76 percent in 
January-July period to USD 3.1 billion.  The major increase came 
from Russian energy firm Gazprom's USD 625 million transfer to 
Belarus' national development fund.  This payment was for the first 
12.5 percent of its eventual 50 percent stake in Beltransgaz. 
 
9.  Belarus Sixth of Eight in CIS GDP Growth 
 
The CIS Statistics Committee ranked Belarus six out of eight CIS 
countries in GDP growth for the first half of 2007, with a growth 
rate of 8.6 percent.  This places Belarus behind Russia at 9.1 and 
ahead of Ukraine at 7.9. Azerbaijan led the rankings with a growth 
rate of 35.1 percent, followed by Armenia at 11.2, Uzbekistan at 
9.7, and Kyrgyzstan with 9.2.  Tajikstan was last, with a rate of 
7.3 percent.  The four other CIS countries did not have data 
available for the ranking.  The Committee also reported that 
Belarus, along with Russia, was fifth in industrial output growth 
with a rate of 7.7 percent. 
 
------------------- 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
10.  Iranian Parliamentarians Visit Minsk 
 
On August 5, a delegation from the parliament of Iran arrived in 
Minsk for a five-day visit.  The trip includes meetings with GOB 
representatives from the National Assembly and visits to significant 
industrial, commercial and historical sites.  In public remarks, the 
delegation's leader Mohammad Mehdi Pour-Fatemis stressed the 
strategic importance of Belarus-Iran relations, mutual concern with 
U.S. dominance in a unipolar world order, and the two countries' 
active involvement in the Non-Aligned Movement.  Both sides 
expressed plans to expand economic cooperation and trade.  Anatoly 
Pavlovich, a Belarusian legislator, spoke of hopes to increase 
annual trade between Iran and Belarus -- which currently amounts to 
less than 50 million dollars -- by ten times in the next five years. 
 
 
11.  Iranian Company to Invest USD 100 Million 
 
Iranian Ambassador to Minsk Abdolhamid Fekri announced August 6 that 
an Iranian company will invest USD 100 million in a hydroelectric 
plant in Belarus.  He also mentioned that other Iranian companies 
are considering pursuing similar interests in Belarus, and that a 
joint working group is planning to hold a meeting in Tehran to 
discuss cooperative energy projects. 
 
12.  Chavez Confirms Belarus Applied for Loan 
 
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez confirmed that President Lukashenka 
requested a loan.  Belarus seeks to secure funds to offset the 
higher energy prices it now pays to Russia.  Speaking at a news 
conference in Buenos Aires on August 7, Chavez said the request is 
under consideration, as his country always tries to help friends, 
who, like Venezuela, constantly face aggression and attacks from the 
United States. 
 
13.  Belarus to Continue Talks with Russia over Loan 
 
Belarus' First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko told 
reporters on August 8 that the GOB will continue talks with Russia 
to secure a USD 1.5 billion loan to mitigate higher energy costs. 
Russia reportedly insisted on settling all outstanding payments 
before discussing the loan.  According to Semashko, Belarus needs 
foreign investment and loans to maintain its high economic growth. 
 
---------------------- 
14.  Quote of the Week 
---------------------- 
 
President Lukashenka on the wonders of the internet: 
 
"It's time to end the anarchy in the Internet.  We should not allow 
this great technical achievement of humankind to turn into an 
information sewer," he said, suggesting enacting a law that would 
specify the status of online media outlets. "We'll not be pioneers 
 
MINSK 00000689  003 OF 003 
 
 
in this regard, such practices exist in many states," he noted. 
 
MOORE