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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSK #0146/01 1271427
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071427Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0251
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHSK/AMEMBASSY MINSK 0255

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 000146 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: BELARUS BI-WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - MAY 8, 2009 
 
MINSK 00000146  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by 
Embassy Minsk. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
- "Chernobyl March" Marked by Detentions, Raid (para. 2) 
- "Solidarity" Demonstrations Dispersed (para. 3) 
- BKGB Harasses Families of Opposition Youth (para. 4) 
- Opposition Activist Jailed (para. 5) 
- Opposition Youth Fined (para. 6) 
 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
- Lukashenka and Berlusconi Discuss Economic Cooperation (para. 
7) 
- Lukashenka and Yushchenko Meet in Gomel (para. 8) 
- Economy Minister: Russia Treats Belarusian Products Unfairly 
(para. 9) 
- National Bank Chairman Optimistic About National Currency and 
Reserves (para. 10) 
- Belarus Sees Record-High First Quarter Trade Deficit (para. 11) 
 
Quotes of the Week (para. 12) 
--------------------------- 
 
------------- 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
¶2. "Chernobyl March" Marked by Detentions, Raid 
 
Although the April 26 "Chernobyl March" took place in Minsk 
without incident, in the days preceding the event, there were 
numerous detentions reported in the regions.  In Vitebsk, 
approximately seven activists were detained and searched April 
¶26.  A Narovlya district court sentenced April 24 United Civic 
Party activist Andrey Tolchyn to five days in jail for 
distributing leaflets about the March.  Police in Minsk 
apprehended April 26 Belarusian Christian Democracy Party leader 
Denis Sadovskiy an hour before the demonstration, confiscated 
his flag poles and released him three hours later without 
charge.  In a separate incident on April 26, police raided 
offices of the Charter97 human rights group, impeding their live 
coverage of the demonstration. 
 
¶3. "Solidarity" Demonstrations Dispersed 
 
Riot police have forcefully dispersed demonstrations of 
"solidarity" with three Volkovysk activists, Nikolay 
Avtukhovich, Yuriy Leonov and Vladimir Osipenko, in downtown 
Minsk taking place daily since May 1.  Over 50 opposition youth 
protested the "politically-motivated" arrests outside the 
holding facilities and on October Square on May 1, and several 
demonstrators were reportedly assaulted.  The GOB dispersed May 
5 another rally in downtown Minsk using sprinklers and other 
street-cleaning machines.  Despite such intimidation that day, 
over 40 youth and prominent opposition leaders assembled at the 
Square to call for the release of the activists.  In addition, 
Malady Front activists initiated hunger strikes on May 4 to 
protest the arrests and in support of Nikolay Avtukhovich's 
hunger strike in prison since April 16. 
 
¶4. BKGB Harasses Families of Opposition Youth 
 
Belarusian KGB officers raided and filmed the residential 
premises of Malady Front (MF) leader Zmitser Dashkevich's family 
in the town of Starye Dorogi on April 24.  In a separate 
incident, they questioned April 25 MF activist Vadim Khonyavko's 
father at his workplace.  The BKGB agents reportedly told him 
they were making a documentary featuring stories about the 
parents who are "not being pleased their children have been 
recruited" into the MF. 
 
¶5. Opposition Activist Jailed 
 
On April 26, a Lida district court sentenced opposition youth 
activist Evgeniy Skrebets to one day in jail over an 
anti-nuclear protest.  Police arrested Skrebets and his two 
associates, Anna Bunko and Evgeniy Rudiy, on April 25 when they 
were distributing leaflets about GOB plans to construct a 
nuclear power plant.  Bunko and Rudiy were charged and soon 
released, while Skrebets served one day in jail for violating 
regulations governing mass events. 
 
¶6. Opposition Youth Fined 
 
A Minsk district court fined opposition youth activist Sergey 
Klyuiev USD 60 on May 4.  Police apprehended the activist on 
February 23 in downtown Minsk as he was posting a banner against 
 
MINSK 00000146  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
forceful military conscriptions. 
 
---------------- 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
¶7. Lukashenka and Berlusconi Discuss Economic Cooperation 
 
The Presidential press service reported April 29 that during his 
April 26-28 travel to Italy and the Vatican, Lukashenka met with 
Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi to discuss economic 
cooperation, among other things.  The parties reportedly noted 
the proximity of their stances on the global financial crisis. 
Attempting to secure more Italian investment in his country, 
Lukashenka provided Berlusconi a list of major Belarusian 
investment projects and invited him to visit Belarus, though he 
suggested that major Italian business people come first.  Italy 
was Belarus' eighth largest trade partner outside the CIS in 
2008 (USD 1.2 billion) with the total investment of USD 4.7 
million and direct investment close to USD 3.3 million. 
 
¶8. Lukashenka and Yushchenko Meet in Gomel 
 
According to media reports, the Belarusian and Ukrainian 
presidents met in the city of Gomel May 6 to discuss bilateral 
relations, regional policies and cooperation under the Eastern 
Partnership program.  Supplies of Ukrainian electric energy to 
and its transit through Belarus topped the agenda.  The parties 
also discussed supplies of Caspian oil to Ukraine, Belarus and 
the EU and agreed that the Ukrainian and Belarusian premiers 
will meet in late May to finalize these and other outstanding 
issues. 
 
¶9. Economy Minister: Russia Treats Belarusian Products Unfairly 
 
At a news conference May 5, Economy Minister Nikolai Zaichenko 
lashed out at Russia for unfair treatment of Belarusian products 
on its territory.  In particular, he criticized the Russian 
Agriculture Ministry, which subsidizes sales of Russian-made 
agricultural machinery on its territory and does not do the same 
for Belarusian machinery.  The Minister claimed that the GOB 
treats Russian and Belarusian products equally and subsidizes 
their sales in Belarus accordingly.  Thus far, only 40 types of 
Belarusian-made products have received preferential treatment in 
Russia if and when purchased for state needs.  Equal access for 
other Belarusian products is still negotiated. 
 
¶10. National Bank Chairman Optimistic About National Currency 
and Reserves 
 
According to media reports, Chairman of the Board of the 
National Bank Pyotr Prokopovich told a news conference April 30 
that the Bank will not widen  the five percent corridor of 
fluctuation of Belarusian ruble (BYR) against the basket of 
currencies (USD, Euro and Russian ruble) and may even narrow it 
in the second quarter.  He also ruled out the possibility of 
another one-time sharp devaluation of the BYR. He further 
claimed that the state of the economy gives the Bank reason to 
believe that the country's gold and hard currency reserves will 
grow from USD 3.66 billion early this year to USD 5.8-7.8 
billion by the year's end.  Prokopovich asserted that the GOB 
and National Bank fully comply with the IMF-required figures for 
the country's net domestic assets and deficit-free budget but 
fell just USD 210 short of only one IMF requirement - the net 
international reserves.  He opined that this will not impair 
Belarus' future cooperation with the IMF. 
 
¶11. Belarus Sees Record-High First Quarter Trade Deficit 
 
The National Statistics Committee told Prime-TASS news agency 
April 30 that the country's first quarter trade deficit 
sky-rocketed from USD 754 million last year to USD 1.86 billion 
this year.  January-March exports fell on the year 49 percent to 
USD 4.1 billion, while imports decreased 32 percent to USD 6 
billion.  The breakdown of the country's first quarter trade was 
the following: the CIS comprised 55.2 percent (including Russia 
- 47.7 percent), and countries outside the CIS were 44.8 
percent.  Last year's numbers were CIS - 58.3 percent (Russia - 
49.5 percent) and non-CIS - 41.7 percent, respectively. 
 
----------------- 
Quotes of the Week 
----------------- 
 
¶12. Commenting on his April 27 meeting with the Pope Benedict 
XVI, Lukashenka told Reuters news agency May 4: 
 
"[The Pope] did not forget that I came with my little son and 
said he would like me to invite the boy.  This was another 
reason for me to say that [the Pope] is God's man. " 
 
At the May 6 Media Exhibition 2009 opening, First Deputy Head of 
the Presidential Administration, Natalia Petkevich, said: 
 
MINSK 00000146  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
"The fact that a large assortment of foodstuff and other goods 
is available at stores is secondary.  It is of paramount 
importance that we are able to see the sun and take joy in it, 
peacefully walk around the streets and raise our children.  We 
must not take peace for granted but should appreciate every 
moment of it, every step taken by authorities for the sake of 
their people." 
MILLER