VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVL #0981/01 3261557
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211557Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY VILNIUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3090
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS VILNIUS 000981 
 
AMEMBASSY MINSK SENDS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON ENRG BO
SUBJECT: BELARUS WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - November 21, 2008 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by Embassy 
Minsk. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
International Relations 
----------------------- 
 
- MFA Says Lukashenka's Comment on Iskander Missiles Misinterpreted 
(para. 2) 
 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
- Lawyer Unable to See Hunger-Striking Barazenka in Pretrial 
Detention Center (para. 3) 
- Judges Involved in Corruption Schemes Still Working (para. 4) 
- NGO Denied Registration in 2008 Due to "Inadequate Application 
Efforts" (para. 5) 
- Popular Front Denied Permission to Commemorate 1920 Anti-Bolshevik 
Uprising in Slutsk (para. 6) 
- Militia Disperses Protests in Central Minsk on Solidarity Day, 
Makes No Detentions (para. 7) 
 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
- The National Bank Will Not Accelerate Privatization of State-Owned 
Banks (para. 8) 
 
International Trade 
------------------- 
 
- Anti-dumping Investigation May Damage Belarusian Pipe Mills (para. 
9) 
- Government Pleased with Preliminary Results of London Investment 
Forum (para. 10) 
- Foreign Trade Deficit Through September Above USD 2.4 Billion 
(para. 11) 
- Latvian Prime-Minister to Visit Belarus in 2009 (para. 12) 
 
Quote of the Week (para. 13) 
---------------------------- 
 
----------------------- 
International Relations 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. MFA Says Lukashenka's Comment on Iskander Missiles 
Misinterpreted 
 
Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Popov stated on November 16 that 
Lukashenka's November 11 comment to the Wall Street Journal that on 
surface-to-surface medium-range Iskander missiles for Belarus was 
misinterpreted.  Popov said Lukashenka did not say that Belarus 
would deploy Iskander missiles as a part of Russia's efforts to 
oppose the deployment of the U.S. anti-defense system in Europe. 
According to Popov, Lukashenka said only that funds permitting, 
Belarus will replace existing missile systems with Iskander missiles 
regardless of Russian plans. 
 
------------- 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
¶3. Lawyer Unable to See Hunger-Striking Aleksander Barazenka in 
Pretrial Detention Center 
 
Alexander Barazenka's lawyer was unable to see him on November 19 in 
pretrial detention center in Minsk because no formal permission was 
granted by the judge.  While his lawyer plans to observe all 
formalities, Alexander started a hunger strike on November 17 to 
require his immediate release.  Criminal charges have been brought 
against him for violating public order during the mass protest in 
January 2008 in defense of entrepreneurs' rights. 
 
¶4. Judges Involved in Corruption Schemes Still Working 
 
According to the Belapan news agency, three judges of the Tsentralny 
district court in Minsk still perform their duties after Lukashenka 
personally blamed them last week for issuing unfair verdicts in 
favor of corrupt senior Prosecutor's office employees.  Supreme 
Court officials told Belapan that they cannot be dismissed until 
after Lukashenka signs an edict to this effect.  In the meantime, 
some of the verdicts cited have already been annulled.  All three 
are on the visa ban list for their unfair decisions regarding 
democratic activists. 
 
¶5. NGOs Denied Registration in 2008 Due to Inadequate Application 
Efforts 
According to information posted on the website of Belarus' Justice 
Ministry (MOJ), the principal reasons for denying registration to 
NGOs in 2008 were problems with application paperwork and poor 
pre-registration efforts.  According to the MOJ, in many instances, 
application papers were forged, as some reported participants of 
founding conferences did not actually attend them, although their 
names and signatures were included on application documents.  These 
allegations allegedly applied often to pro-democratic NGOs. 
 
¶6. Popular Front Denied Permission to Commemorate 1920 
Anti-Bolshevik Uprising in Slutsk 
 
The Belarusian Popular Front failed to secure permission to 
commemorate on November 23 the anniversary of the anti-communist 
uprising suppressed by the Bolsheviks in late 1920.  The chairman of 
the Slutsk district government (Minsk region) reportedly did not 
allow a mass to take place in central Slutsk, although such 
commemorations were often held in previous years.  BPF activists 
nonetheless intend to appeal the denial and plan to proceed with 
preparations. 
 
¶7. Militia Disperses Protests in Central Minsk on Solidarity Day, 
Makes No Detentions 
 
Several opposition youth groups commemorated the disappearances of 
democratic leaders on Solidarity Day November 16 at various 
locations in central Minsk.  Police pushed protesters away from 
Jakub Kolas and Oktyabrskaya Squares and dispersed them as they 
attempted to approach a pretrial detention center to demand the 
release of Aleksander Barazenka.  Similar protests were reported in 
Soligorsk, Mozyr, Kobrin and several other cities.  No detentions 
were reported. 
 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
¶8. The National Bank Will Not Accelerate Privatization of 
State-Owned Banks 
 
The Head of the National Bank's information office Anatoly Drozdov 
told a news conference November 17 that the Bank has no intention to 
accelerate privatization of the country's four largest state-owned 
banks.  Twenty percent stocks in Belarusbank, Belagroprombank, 
Belpromstroibank and Belinvestbank will only be sold to strategic 
investors who can attract resources several times higher than the 
amount paid for the stock. 
 
---------------------------- 
Foreign Trade and Investment 
---------------------------- 
 
¶9. Anti-dumping Investigation May Damage Belarusian Pipe Mills 
 
According to press reports, the European Commission launched on 
November 19 an anti-dumping investigation with regard to pipe mills 
in Turkey, Ukraine and Belarus that supply products to the EU 
markets.  The verdict is expected to be announced in about nine 
months and may cause serious economic damage to three Belarusian 
pipe mills. 
 
¶10. Government Pleased With Preliminary Results of London Investment 
Forum 
 
On November 19, Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky announced at a news 
conference in London that preliminary results of the Investment 
Forum were far beyond his expectations.  The actual number of 
participants was double the government's initial expectations. 
Sidorsky stated that participants "felt the spirit of changes in 
Belarus" and would like to invest.  The Prime Minister specifically 
mentioned some unnamed investors from the Arab world as well as the 
U.S. Caterpillar, which allegedly would like to sell its products in 
Belarus. 
 
¶11. Foreign Trade Deficit Through September Above USD 2.4 Billion 
 
According to official statistics issued on November 17, Belarus' 
foreign trade deficit through September was 2.474 billion, one 
billion more than the GOB planned for 2008.  In particular, the 
commodity trade deficit was USD 3.738 billion, while trade in 
services had a surplus of USD 1.263 billion. 
 
¶12. Latvian Prime Minister to Visit Belarus in 2009 
 
Latvia's Ambassador to Belarus Maira Mora told a news conference in 
Minsk on November 20 that the Latvian Prime Minister intends to 
visit Belarus during 2009.  The main objective will be discussion of 
electric energy supplies to Latvia as this will be a critical issue 
for the country following the closure of the Ignalina nuclear power 
plant in Lithuania scheduled for 2009.  Belarusian and Latvian 
premiers discussed the issue preliminarily on November 12 during the 
Belarusian Prime Minister's visit to Riga. 
 
----------------- 
Quote of the Week 
----------------- 
 
¶13. President Lukashenka greeted the official Belarusian Union of 
Journalists on the Union's 50th anniversary and welcomed its 
members' constructive approach to forming public opinion in Belarus. 
 Lukashenka said: 
 
"Unfortunately, not all mass media work for the benefit of the 
Belarusian people and seek to strengthen a young sovereign state... 
It is critical in a contemporary world to provide balanced and 
precise information and fully realize the responsibility you take 
for each written or spoken word." 
 
MILLER 
CLOUD