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Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
09MINSK183	2009-06-12 14:52	2011-08-26 00:00	UNCLASSIFIED	Embassy Minsk

VZCZCXRO7686
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSK #0183/01 1631452
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121452Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY MINSK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0296
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHSK/AMEMBASSY MINSK 0300

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000183 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: BELARUS WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - JUNE 12, 2009 
 
MINSK 00000183  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled by 
Embassy Minsk. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
- "European Belarus" Activists Fined (para. 2) 
-  Prisoner of Conscience Fined (para. 3) 
-  United Civic Party Activists Fined (para. 4) 
 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
- World Bank, GOB Agree on a USD 125 Million Loan (para. 5) 
- Russia Bans Belarusian-made Dairy (para. 6) 
- Belarus' Reserve Assets Up 5.7 Percent in January-May (para. 7) 
 
Foreign Relations 
-------------- 
 
- EurAsEC and Armenia Establish Anti-Crisis Fund (para. 8) 
 
Quote of the Week (para. 9) 
--------------------------- 
 
------------- 
Civil Society 
------------- 
 
¶2. "European Belarus" Activists Fined 
 
On June 10, a Minsk district court fined "European Belarus" 
campaign activists Oleg Lodutsko and Maksim Vinyarskiy USD 375 
and Paulina Dyakova USD 250.  The three were charged for staging 
a rally in downtown Minsk June 10 in support of jailed Volkovysk 
activist Nikolay Avtukhovich. 
 
¶3. Prisoner of Conscience Fined 
 
An Osipovichy regional court fined June 10 opposition youth 
Artyom Dubskiy USD 310.  Police apprehended the activist on May 
10 and charged him with painting political graffiti.  Dubskiy, 
recognized as a "prisoner of conscience" by Amnesty 
International, still faces criminal charges of violating his 
partial house arrest restrictions and may stand trial soon. 
 
¶4. United Civic Party Activists Fined 
 
A Volkovysk district court fined June 8 six Grodno-based United 
Civic Party (UCP) members USD 25 and UCP local leader Yuriy 
Istomin USD 250 for staging a demonstration in Volkovysk on May 
16  in support of jailed Nikolay Avtukhovich.  The activists 
called the administrative charges "far-fetched" and fines 
"illegal," citing that the court failed to summon the police 
officers who detained the activists as witnesses at the trial. 
 
---------------- 
Domestic Economy 
---------------- 
 
¶5. World Bank, GOB Agree on USD 125 Million Loan 
 
The World Bank and the GOB signed June 8 an agreement on a USD 
125 million loan to finance energy efficiency projects at 
several heat and power generating facilities.  According to 
preliminary estimates, the efficiency of heat and power 
generation is expected to increase by about 30 percent.  The 
project will entail savings of approximately 90 million cubic 
meters of natural gas annually, which will results in a 
reduction of about 165,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. 
Implementation of these projects will commence in 2009 and run 
for five years. 
 
¶6. Russia Bans Belarusian-made Dairy 
 
On June 11, Belarus and Russia conducted extensive interagency 
talks in Moscow following the GOR's June 6 import ban on 
Belarusian-made dairy products.  Russian Consumer Monitoring 
Services Chair Gennadiy Onischenko announced June 11 a number of 
conditions needed for Belarusian manufacturers to comply with 
Russian sanitary and "technical" dairy regulations, which would 
permit them renewed access to Russian markets.  Russian PM 
Vladimir Putin committed to "solving the issue" and voiced the 
countries' agreement that the GOB will limit exports of dry milk 
and increase exports of cheese and cottage cheese.  President 
Lukashenka earlier condemned Russia's restriction of trade with 
Belarus.  On June 9, Belarusian PM Sergey Sidorskiy echoed his 
statements, urging officials to stop "verbal battles," and 
Russian FM Sergey Lavrov maintained that the GOR did not 
introduce "any sanctions" against Belarus. 
 
 
MINSK 00000183  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶7. Belarus' Reserve Assets Up 5.7 percent in January-May 
 
The National Statistics Committee reported June 8 that according 
to the International Monetary Fund's methodology, Belarus' 
international reserves increased 5.7 percent to USD 3.237 
billion as of June 1, 2009.  Foreign currency reserves reached 
$2.642 billion, monetary gold amounted to the equivalent of USD 
513.5 million, and other assets were USD 81.3 million. 
 
--------------- 
Foreign Relations 
--------------- 
 
¶8. EurAsEC and Armenia Establish Anti-Crisis Fund 
 
Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) member-states, including 
Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and 
Armenia signed an agreement to set up a USD 10 billion 
anti-crisis fund on June 9.  Russia will reportedly contribute 
USD 7.5 billion, and the fund will be available for 
stabilization loans to member-states and for financing 
intergovernmental investment projects.  Russian Finance Minister 
Aleksey Kudrin, the fund's appointed head, stated June 9 that 
Belarus might request a USD 500 million loan from the fund after 
members-states ratify the agreement, likely by September 2009. 
 
----------------- 
Quote of the Week 
----------------- 
 
¶9. In his June 10 interview with major Russian printed media 
outlets, President Lukashenka emotionally stated: 
 
"What is the most important for me in having these powers?  You 
understand that I am a human being; I have children, especially 
my youngest son Nikolay, the one I dote on.  He is five, and I 
am fifty-five already.  We were born on the same day - August 
¶31.  I worry about my children.  God forbid anything happens to 
me.  They live in state-owned residences, from which they would 
be kicked out and do not even have apartments.  They do not have 
savings to be able to buy apartments.  I am horrified at the 
thought that they will all get together at the place that I once 
left because there is not enough space for them there.  And my 
children have asked me: 'What do we do?  We should have at least 
a place of our own.'  And I respond to them: 'Be patient.  Let's 
hope that I will not be kicked out this very moment.  When I 
complete my presidency term, I will settle somewhere, and there 
will be a place for you.  We will earn a living.  But now I am 
unable to take care of your housing issue because of public 
opinion, because of people. '" 
SAVAGE

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Viewing cable 09MINSK183, BELARUS WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - JUNE 12, 2009