VZCZCXRO5198
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVL #0505/01 1791452
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271452Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY VILNIUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2471
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VILNIUS 000505 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
AMEMBASSY MINSK SENDS 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON EINV WTRO USTR BO
SUBJECT:  BELARUS: MEDVEDEV'S SYMBOLIC VISIT 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary and Comment:  On June 22, Russian President 
Dmitriy Medvedev paid a first official visit to Belarus, at the 
invitation of President Lukashenko.  Meeting at the site of the Nazi 
invasion of the USSR during World War II, the presidents discussed a 
range of bilateral issues.  While expressing commitment to expanding 
cooperation on market economic and other issues within the framework 
of the existing Union State, the leaders made no public statements 
about highly-anticipated gas price negotiations.  Although not 
producing any significant policy developments, Medvedev's visit so 
early in his tenure indicates Russia's commitment to keeping Belarus 
close within its sphere of influence.  End summary and comment. 
 
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The Union Will Go On 
-------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The Russian and Belarusian Presidents marked the 
sixty-seventh anniversary since the Nazi invasion of the USSR with a 
meeting in Brest, the army's point of entry.  At a joint press 
conference following an extended meeting, Lukashenko and Medvedev 
expressed "satisfaction with the consistent development of the 
bilateral relations" and confirmed "adherence to the Union State 
Treaty of December 8, 1999."  Their stated priorities included 
consistent expansion of the bilateral integration, enforcement of 
the collective security system, increase of humanitarian 
interaction, improving the welfare of the two nations.  In his 
conversations with WWII veterans after the meeting, Medvedev noted 
that the Union State "exists, and we just need to fill it with 
substantial contents."  Medvedev highlighted progress in bilateral 
relations, which he called "relations of a strategic partnership." 
According to the Russian leader, the presidents "revised various 
projects" and pointed to "very good" advancement.  Lukashenko said 
he was pleased to hear from Medvedev that, as he rephrased it, 
"these eight years that they had been working, tumbling, stumbling" 
yielded "powerful movement ahead."  Lukashenko said it was important 
"to hear the new Russian President's assessment," and said he 
understood that "[the Union State] can proceed, and we have good 
grounds for that."  Medvedev stated that in order to move forward, 
"no extraordinary goals should be set" as they simply must 
"implement existing agreements" and execute concrete economic, 
political projects that "ensure our common security".  Medvedev 
stressed that the negotiations demonstrated that the two leaders 
have similar assessments of the current situation and prospects of 
"amicable and close" bilateral ties. 
 
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Yes To Economic Cooperation 
--------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) Lukashenko and Medvedev endorsed a joint declaration urging 
further development of bilateral economic relations based on the 
principles of market economy.  The document calls for increased 
"trade and economic cooperation based on the principles of market 
economy, equality, mutual benefits, and consideration of each other 
interests."  It also "encourages efforts of Russian and Belarusian 
investors, facilitation of joint productions, expansion of 
manufacturing cooperation, especially under the Union programs." 
Medvedev pointed to the importance of trade growth, noting that 
bilateral trade grew by 65 percent between January and April 2008, 
calling it "a very good indicator" and urging to "preserve this 
pace."  The two parties committed to "pursue unified tariff and 
non-tariff" customs policies and to "remove obstacles in mutual 
trade."  The Russian leader expressed hope that trade relations will 
lay a robust foundation to further develop "social and political 
vectors of cooperation."  Reflecting long-standing rather than new 
realities, Lukashenko announced that "today, we created a state 
unified by political and legal means, and the joint customs border 
lies here in Brest." 
 
---------------------------- 
Collective Security Approach 
---------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) The heads of state signed a declaration condemning attempts 
to rewrite WWII history, highlighting "the importance of further 
build-up of Belarusian-Russian interaction to guarantee collective 
security, including in the framework of the Organization for 
Collective Security Agreement, of development of the military and 
technological cooperation as well as the assistance in search for 
common responses of the international community to new challenges 
and threats of global nature."  In the declaration, both parties 
committed to coordination of their approaches on the most important 
issues of the international relations "for the sake of just and 
democratic world order under the United Nations' vital role and rule 
of law." 
 
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Comment 
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VILNIUS 00000505  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Medvedev's visit to Belarus to a site of shared historic 
importance so early in his presidential tenure signals his desire to 
keep Belarus within the Russian sphere of influence.  Although the 
two presidents did not speak publicly about gas price negotiations, 
which will play a most important role in determining the future 
relationship between Russia and Belarus, such sensitive themes were 
likely discussed behind closed doors.  Given his jubilant appearance 
throughout the visit, Lukashenko was satisfied with at least the 
tone of their discussion. 
 
 
Savage 
Cloud