VZCZCXRO4432
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSK #0886/01 2921616
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191616Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6587
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNOSC/OSCE COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000886 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON ENRG BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - October 19, 2007 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by Embassy 
Minsk. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
- Polish Minority Leaders Arrested in Grodno (para. 2) 
- Supreme Court Denies Leftist Union Registration (para. 3) 
- Milinkevich Founds European Integration Council (para. 4) 
- Vandals Attack Jewish Cemetery in Bobruysk (para. 5) 
- Opposition Youth Demonstrate on Solidarity Day (para. 6) 
- Youth Activist Expelled from University (para. 7) 
 
International Relations 
----------------------- 
- Israel Reacts to Luka's Anti-Semitic Remarks (para. 8) 
 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
- Lukashenko Defends Benefit Cuts (para. 9) 
 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
- Belarus Negotiating New Credit Lines (para. 10) 
- Gazprom: No Gas Price Renegotiation (para. 11) 
 
- Quote of the Week (para. 12) 
 
------------- 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
¶2.  Polish Minority Leaders Arrested in Grodno 
 
A district court in Grodno sentenced several local activists on 
obscenities charges on October 11.  A judge sentenced the leader of 
the Union of Poles of Belarus (UPB) Angelika Borys, Chief Editor of 
the "Polish Magazine in Exile" Igor Bantser, and Belarusian National 
Front Grodno office head Nikolay Lemenovsky to a fine of 460,000 
rubles (USD 215), and ten and five days in jail respectively. 
Authorities allowed only Borys' parents to attend the closed-door 
hearing. 
 
¶3.  Supreme Court Denies Leftist Union Registration 
 
The Supreme Court refused to overturn the registration denial of the 
Union of Left Parties (ULP) at a hearing on October 11.  With the 
earlier liquidation of the Women's Party Nadzeya and the suspension 
of the Belarusian Party of Communists (BPC) in August, the ULP has 
lost legal grounds for registration.  BPC representative Yelena 
Skrygan noted that the three parties would "continue their 
cooperation within the pro-democratic camp." 
 
¶4.  Milinkevich Founds European Integration Council 
 
Opposition Leader Aleksandr Milinkevich presided over the founding 
meeting of the European Integration Council (EIC) on October 10. 
Over 30 prominent political and civil society figures and experts 
joined the EIC and elected Milinkevich chairman.  The EIC will serve 
as a consultative body and a forum for the discussion of strategies 
to increase integration and cooperation with Europe.  Milinkevich 
stated the EIC would conduct information campaigns, provide training 
to opposition activists, and promote national culture. 
 
¶5.  Vandals Attack Jewish Cemetery in Bobruysk 
 
Vandals damaged 15 graves at a Jewish cemetery in Bobruysk on 
October 12, overturning and smashing gravestones and leaving human 
excrement.  Local Jewish leaders filed a complaint with the police, 
who have launched an investigation. 
 
¶6.  Opposition Youth Demonstrate on Solidarity Day 
 
On October 16, over 30 opposition youth held a joint prayer service 
in downtown Minsk to show support for political prisoners. 
Participants sang an unofficial anthem of Belarus, lit candles, and 
unfurled a sign urging the release of imprisoned youth leader Dmitry 
Dashkevich.  Plainclothes officers filmed the demonstration, but 
made no arrests. 
 
¶7.  Youth Activist Expelled from University 
 
The administration of the Belarus State Technological University has 
expelled "For Freedom" Movement activist Dmitry Podreza.  Officials 
based the expulsion on alleged violations of internal university 
rules by Podreza, though others insist it is politically motivated. 
 
MINSK 00000886  002 OF 002 
 
 
The activist said he may appeal the ruling or pursue a degree 
abroad. 
 
----------------------- 
International Relations 
----------------------- 
 
¶8.  Israel Reacts to Luka's Anti-Semitic Remarks 
 
Israel has lodged an official complaint against President 
Lukashenko's recent anti-Semitic remarks with a demarche to the 
Belarusian ambassador to Israel.  According to "Komsomolskaya 
Pravda" Lukashenko described the city of Bobruysk, where Jewish 
graves have recently been desecrated, saying "If you visit Bobruysk, 
you can see what condition the town is in.  It is frightful to 
enter.  It is a pigsty.  It is largely a Jewish town.  Well, you 
know what attitude the Jews have towards the places they live.  Look 
at Israel." 
 
---------------- 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
¶9.  Lukashenko Defends Benefit Cuts 
 
President Lukashenko justified recent social benefits cuts at a 
press conference on October 12, saying the move was necessary to 
stave off an increase in the retirement age.  Lukashenko said the 
system needed revision as some of the benefits abolished date back 
to the Stalin era.  He also announced unspecific plans to create new 
benefits for those in greatest need. 
 
------------------- 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
¶10.  Belarus Negotiating New Credit Lines 
 
The Belarusian Ministry of Economics announced on October 16 that 
Belarus is negotiating credit lines with India, Turkey and Czech 
Republic to finance future investment projects.  Belarus plans to 
increase foreign investment to 15-20 percent of total investment by 
¶2010.  Last year the figure was USD 354 million, or 3.4 percent of 
total capital investment. 
 
¶11.  Gazprom: No Gas Price Renegotiation 
 
Russia does not plan to renegotiate the conditions of natural gas 
and oil supplies to Belarus.  Gazprom and Belarusian authorities 
have confirmed the pricing structure for natural gas for the next 
several years.  In 2008, Belarus will pay 67 percent of the European 
gas price less transport costs, 80 percent in 2009, and 100 percent 
of the average European price starting in 2011.  The Belarusian side 
planned to renegotiate the deal to moderate the price increase, and 
even drafted a 2008 budget based on hoped-for lower price hikes. 
 
---------------------- 
¶12.  Quote of the Week 
---------------------- 
 
Pavel Nazdra, a member of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, 
on being taken into custody by police immediately after a drunken 
man approached him on the street, waved his arms, and provoked a 
fight: 
 
"At the police station, they told me that I had used obscenities and 
insulted passers-by....  The man who provoked me had been released 
from prison not long before....  I regard the incident as mere 
provocation and part of the police's preparations for the European 
March.  It's their style." 
 
Stewart