Vol.1, No. 17 September, 1998 |
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Vol.1, No. 17 September, 1998
IN THIS ISSUE
CRIMEA RENDEZVOUSOn August 26, Acting Russian Prime-Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin unexpectedly left Russia and headed for Crimea, despite the critical economic situation in the country. Boris Yeltsin assigned him a mission to meet the presidents of Ukraine and Belarus. But his major task was to hold talks with IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus, who arrived in Crimea earlier to meet Leonid Kuchma. The main topics of the leaders' unofficial talks were border demarcation and economic output, especially that of agriculture produce. Belarus needs grain, beet-sugar, vegetable oil and other Ukrainian products. Since the talks were held behind closed doors, the terms and volumes of future deliveries are still unknown. This September the prime-ministers of the two countries will sign an official agreement. (Belaruskaya gazeta, September 1)
LUKASHENKO URGES SLAVIC UNITY AS CURE FOR RUSSIAN ILLSBelarus and Ukraine will help Russia overcome its crisis, if the three former Soviet republics draw closer together, Alexander Lukashenko told journalists on August 28, at the end of his three-day visit to Crimea. "Bringing the three Slavic countries closer will be a strong factor in stabilizing the situation not only in Russia, but in Belarus and Ukraine. If we do not make these steps toward each other, we will commit another crime, I stress, a crime," Interfax quoted him as saying. Lukashenko said that the financial collapse in Russia was predictable and that the Russian government "should have warned Ukraine and Belarus." (RFE/RL, August 31)
"IMF IS NOT UNIVERSAL ANSWER FOR POST-SOVIET ECONOMIES"After returning to Belarus from Crimea Lukashenko told journalists that the IMF's recommendations "are not proven to be the universal remedy for economic reform," ITAR-TASS reported on August 28. In his opinion, IMF's aim is " to disrupt the national economic system of post-Soviet republics." Lukashenko added that during his visit to Crimea he met with Russian acting Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin twice but did not meet with Michel Camdessus, IMF Managing Director. (RFE/RL, August 31)
BELARUS HIT BY "CREDIT BLOCKADE"Vladimir Shymov, Belarusian Minister of Economy, has admitted that Belarus needs considerable foreign investments to integrate its economy into the world economy, Belapan reported on September 3. Shymov praised the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for its "quite pragmatic policy" of continuing financial projects in Belarus. He added that Belarus hopes to "prolong a dialogue" with the IMF and the World Bank, which have recalled their permanent representatives from Minsk. Valery Drozd, Deputy Minister of Economy said Belarus received $60.8 million in foreign credits in 1998, which is "only 18 percent of the sum planned for this year. We are under a credit blockade by international financial organizations," he commented. (RFE/RL, September 4)
RUSSIAN CRISIS AFFECTS BELARUSThe Belarusian National Bank's press service announced that a number of small banks that have invested in Russian bonds might collapse. The crisis is even more painful there since President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a treaty with Russia that binds their economies. The Belarusian ruble's official rate is 49,000 to the dollar, but it's trading at 110,000 at the interbank currency exchange, not fully controlled by the government. And Belarusian financial experts like Alexander Potupa, vice chairman of the Entrepreneurs' Union, say the nation is a step away from a full-blown crisis. He points out that Russia accounts for two-thirds of Belarusian foreign trade. (Associated Press, August 28)
LUKASHENKO CALLS RUSSIAN CRISIS "POLITICAL HYSTERIA"President Lukashenko described the current crisis in Russia as "nothing more than political hysteria," Interfax reported on September 3. "The situation in Russia is worrying me a great deal. I'm afraid this crash will affect Belarus," the agency quoted him as saying on a tour of collective farms in the Mogilev region. Lukashenko added that he sees no desire in Russia to deal with the crisis. In his opinion, the current developments in Russia show that "election campaigns for the parliament and in effect for the presidency have started." (RFE/RL, September 4)
BELARUSIAN FOREIGN TRADE DECLINESValery Sadokha, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Trade Minister, said Belarusian producers are finding it increasingly difficult to compete on foreign markets, Belapan reported on September 1. He cited declining exports and a growing negative foreign trade balance. In the first half of this year, Belarusian exports to Canada fell by 67 percent, to Israel by 58 percent, and to Poland by 33 percent, compared with the same period last year. Belarus's negative trade balance with Germany reached $250 million, with Ukraine at $226 million, and with Poland at $70 million. Sadokha appealed to Belarusian embassies to do everything in their power to enhance foreign trade "under difficult circumstances of [Belarus's] international isolation." (RFE/RL, September 2)
RUBLE'S DEVALUATION THE ONLY RESCUE FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTERSExperts believe that the recent devaluation of the Russian ruble will necessarily lead to a higher devaluation of its Belarusian name-sake. Belarus is a country with an open economy relying on foreign markets. Russia remains a main foreign trade partner of Belarus. Having put its stakes on trade with Russia, Belarus has failed to retain other important markets. The Belarusian ruble's devaluation is necessary in order to retain the terms of trade and competitiveness of Belarusian goods on the Russian market. (Belaruskaya gazeta, September 1)
MAZ CONVEYOR STOPSOn August 28, the main assembly line of the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) was brought to a halt due to a shortage of engines, supplied by the Yaroslavl Motor Factory. MAZ Director-General Valentin Gurinovich said that he had returned the day before from Yaroslavl and he had received information that Russia's government made a decision to supply MAZ with power units from the state reserve. MAZ started assembling trucks without engines on August 30, Gurinovich said. This August MAZ has already spent 5 days in a standstill. (Belaruskaya gazeta, September 1)
FOREIGN OIL SUPPLIERS WITHDRAW FROM BELARUSAuthorities are persistently silent about the gasoline crisis. Officially, there is gasoline at filling stations. In reality, however, it disappeared in the mid-summer in rural areas, in certain district centers one can't get it for weeks. There are limitations of 10-20 liters per car at filling stations where it is available. The situation in Minsk is more or less satisfactory. If the supply of oil to Belarus continues to decline, however, up to 60% of drivers in Minsk will have no fuel. The lack of the Belarusian market's attractiveness for oil products has led to a shortage of fuel and lubricants. Now only five companies supply state agencies and private cars with gasoline. (Belaruskaya gazeta, September 1)
THE GHOST OF A COLD WINTER IN BELARUS?THE GHOST OF A COLD WINTER IN BELARUS? By September 15 the housing and communal services of Belarus will be 80-90% ready for the winter period, said Boris Batura, Belarus's Minister for Housing and Communal Services. However, by the end of August only 52% of the planned volume of black oil and 70% of coal have been stored. The reserves of local energy-supplies (fire-wood, wood-waste, and peat) should be actively accumulated, the Minister added. (Radio 101.2, September 1)
BELARUS EXPECTS LOWER GRAIN CROP THIS YEARIvan Shakola, Belarusian Minister of Agriculture, said on September 1 that the unfavorable weather badly affected this year's grain harvest, Belapan and Reuters reported. So far, 77 percent of the crop has been harvested, compared with 92 percent in the same period last year. The total grain crop is expected to reach 5.8 million tons, 1 million tons less than in 1997. Shakola announced that Belarus will double its feed grain imports this year to 1.5 million tons in order to compensate for the lost crops. (RFE/RL, September 2)
LUKASHENKO FINDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT "OPTIMAL"President Alexander Lukashenko approved a report on the country's economic performance this year drawn up by Vladimir Shymov, Minister of Economy, Belarusian Television reported on September 1. Lukashenko said that the current economic development can be considered "optimal" for Belarus. At the same time, he instructed Shymov to take measures to avoid price hikes and the smuggling of food out of the country. According to official data, Belarus's GDP grew by 12 percent from January to July, industrial output by 12.5 percent, consumer goods output by 21 percent, and foreign trade by 13.9 percent, compared with the same period last year. (RFE/RL, September 3)
WORLD BANK REPRESENTATIVE LEAVES BELARUSAugust 26 David Phillips, Representative of the World Bank, convened a news conference on his departure from Minsk; David Phillips spent in Belarus a year. The World Bank Office in Belarus will be supervised by Nikolai Lisai, a present economic adviser to the WB Office. David Phillips said that despite the Belarusian government's numerous measures of the economic nature, no notable changes has occurred in key sectors of the economy so far. As a result, this April the World Bank Operation Committee suspended the development of new projects for Belarus. The World Bank believes that granting credits in the situation of destabilizing macroeconomic environment would yield no good. The World Bank's assistance will be resumed, as soon as there is an essential progress in the implementation of key reforms. In particular, this requires the liberalization of the exchange rate, abolishment of price control and subsidies, the curtailment of budget deficit, and the acceleration of privatization. (Belaruskaya gazeta, September 1)
NEW IFC PROJECT MANAGER APPOINTED IN BELARUSBecause of the departure of Karim Ahmad for Moscow, Jeff Ferry was appointed the Project Manager of the International Financial Corporation Project of Small-Scale Privatization in Belarus. Summing up the Project results, Mr. Ahmad informed that the results planned within the Memorandum of Understanding between the World Bank and the Government of the Republic of Belarus were not achieved in any branch, including retail trade, public catering and consumer services. Mr. Ahmad admitted his strategic mistake: "From the very start we described a beautiful picture of the privatization consequences. To expect immediate positive changes in the pe.rformance of an enterprise that worked at a loss for decades is unwise." He called upon concentrating on longer-term solutions and expecting positive results in the course of time. (Belaruskaya gazeta, September 1)
LUKASHENKO SETS PRIORITIES FOR HOUSING CONSTRUCTIONLukashenko set priorities for housing construction in Belarus, Interfax reported on September 2. He said that the state should build more houses in villages and regional towns, in which the housing problem is particularly acute. He also demanded that an average of five apartments be built by every collective farm each year. "Housing is the locomotive which is getting the whole economy of the country going," he stressed. Lukashenko blasted the construction industry for poor performance and warned that the government will "deliberately produce unemployment" in the industry to force competition unless the Construction Ministry takes steps to improve the situation in the sector. (RFE/RL, September 3)
CUSTOMS UNION MAY BREAK UPState-parties to the Customs Union (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) held consultations in Moscow last week with their experts on issues related to joining the WTO. The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations announced that during the meeting the representatives of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia voiced their concern on some unilateral concessions made by Kyrgyzstan to the WTO. Having analyzed Kyrgyz proposals to the WTO, experts discovered that the proposed rates of customs duties were at least by 10-20% lower than those of other parties of the Customs Union. It is still unclear whether Kyrgyzstan will coordinate its policy to join the WTO with other parties to the Union. The next expert meeting is scheduled for early November. (Belaruskaya gazeta, September 1)
CIS PRIME MINISTERS TO MEET IN ALMAATYA meeting of heads of states and governments of Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan and Tajikistan will take place on September 8-11 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Participants are expected to discuss the issues of developing cooperation in economic and humanitarian fields. Prime Ministers of the participating states plan to endorse six documents, the most important of which is to ensure free an equal right to crossing common customs borders, an the unhindered flow of goods, luggage and currency. Presidents of the "four" as well as the Tadjik President are to sign a the Customs Union Treaty which will create a common economic space between the "four-plus-one" states. (Radio 101.2, September 1)
.. BUT LUKASHENKO WILL NOT BE PRESENTOn September 3, while speaking at the meeting at Mogilev City Executive Committee, Lukashenko expressed his opinion about the forthcoming CIS summit in Kazakhstan, "Although Yeltsin is expected, I am not going to Almaty because the summit will be fruitless. To date, on the major issue of the "Common Economic Space", Russia and Belarus are against, Kazakhstan and Kyrgystan stand for, and Tajikistan is ambivalent. It means that there is no guarantee that we will come to a decision." (Radio 101.2, September 4)
BELARUSIAN LAWMAKERS WANT JOINT PARLIAMENTDeputies of the Belarusian Chamber of Representatives appealed to Russian and Belarusian citizens to unite efforts in order to overcome the current economic crisis, Belapan reported on September 3. The Belarusian lawmakers propose that both countries' parliaments urgently consider bills that will introduce a double Belarusian-Russian citizenship and immediate direct elections to the joint parliament. The appeal states that the "economic, political, and moral model of building the current Russian society according to the dictates of international and regional financial-oligarchic groups...has totally collapsed. At the same time, the independent and patriotic policy conducted in Belarus under the leadership of President Alexander Lukashenko convincingly proves [that policy's] viability and efficiency." (RFE/RL, September 4)
DIMITRY BULAHOV'S PRIVATE OPINION"It is obvious that Yury Luzhkov will win the next presidential elections in Russia. But it will happen only if Alexander Lukashenko, candidate number one, will not take part in them. His chances to win the election are 99%," thinks Dmitry Bulahov, deputy of the 12th Supreme Soviet, ardent supporter of Lukashenko during his run for presidency. "Today's Lukashenko is a politician on par with the highest European or even the world's standards," he added. (Belaruskaya gazeta, September 1)
BELARUS SIGNS MEMORANDUM ON COOPERATION WITH UNPresident Lukashenko accepted the proposal of the Belarus Council of Ministers to sign a memorandum on cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the United Nations Organization in the fields of education, science and culture. A relevant decree was signed by the president on September 3. Ivan Antonovich, Belarusian Foreign Minister was authorized to endorse this document. Alexander Lukashenko also signed a decree "On Joining the Nuclear Security Convention." The Convention was adopted in Vienna on June 17, 1994, and its first article sets out that the Convention's main task is to reach a high level of security, to seek efficient means of protection from a potential radioactive danger at nuclear settings as well as to prevent nuclear accidents. (Radio 101.2, September 4)
COURT REFUSES TO HEAR COMMUNISTS' CASELast week a Minsk district court rejected a suit filed by the leadership of the Belarusian Communist Party against some state mass media and particularly Mr. Posokhov, Permanent Representative of Belarus to the CIS. After publication of Mr. Posokhov's interview, in which he alleged that BCP leadership violated the Party Charter, made alliance with the Belarusian National Front and treated negatively the Belarus-Russia integration, Communist leaders Kalyakin and Novikov decided to seek justice in court. They believe Mr. Posokhov's statements have damaged reputation of the party, as well as the honor and dignity of the plaintiffs. During the pre-trial conference the court treated Posokhov's statements as "in-party discussion." It ruled that there were no grounds for a civil suit. As the lawyer of the BCP leaders Garry Pogonyaylo noted, they would appeal against the court's verdict because "we must not let the authorities, having wide access to mass media, take the liberty to throw mud at their political opponents." According to Mr. Pogonyaylo, we should avoid a legal precedent that would permit officials through active use of mass media and under the pretext of an "in-party discussion" to damage those who today have no access to mass media not only for promoting their program but even for refuting false information. (Belaruskaya gazeta, September 1)
NEW NGO IN BELARUSA newborn Belarusian Christian-Social Movement was registered in Minsk. Under its by-laws, the organization aims to consolidate the society for a social revival on the basis of moral values. The new organization was created by representatives of the Belarusian Youth Christian-Democratic Union, the Belarusian Women's Forum, Vitebsk and Minsk branches of the Christian-Democratic parties, the Belarusian Charitable Fund "Children of Chernobyl" and several other charitable and humanitarian organizations. The movement is headed by Gennady Grushevoi, director of the Children of Chernobyl Foundation. (Radio 101.2, September 4)
AUTHORITIES PERMIT BPF RALLYThe Minsk City authorities permitted a group of representatives of the Belarusian Popular Front to organize a mass actions marking the anniversary of a historical battle near Orsha in 1514. The rally is planned to begin at Jakub Kolas Square at 5:30 p.m. on September 8. Afterward, participants will march along Kiseliov and Kuibyshev streets up to Paris Commune Square, where a demonstration and a concert will take place from 18:30 to 20:30. It is expected that 7000 participants will attend the celebrations. (Radio 101.2, September 4)BELARUS, VIETNAM TO BOOST ECONOMIC TIESOn August 29 Lukashenko met with Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong, who as on an official visit tp Belarus, ITAR-TASS reported. The Belarusian President said after the meeting that Belarus and Vietnam intend to increase mutual trade by 1000 percent annually, to some $200 million. Lukashenko added that Vietnam "may become a bridge for promoting Belarusian goods on Asian markets, while Belarus may become a bridge for promoting Vietnam's interests in Europe." He stressed that both Belarus and Vietnam pursue "similar" domestic and foreign policies. (RFE/RL, August 31)
BELARUS JOINS NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENTA conference of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries in Durban, South Africa, on September 2 accepted Belarus as its 114th member, ITAR-TASS reported. Until now, Belarus had only observer status. (RFE/RL, September 3)
CHERNOBYL RADIATION LINKED TO THYROID DISEASEIn a report published in the Lancet medical journal, researchers at the University of Pisa announced the preliminary results of their study of Belarusian children who were exposed to radiation from the world's worst nuclear accident. The study shows that such children have more antibodies in the thyroid gland than other youngsters. Although there was no evidence that the gland was not working, the antibodies indicate the children may later suffer from hypothyroidism - a decreased production of the thyroid hormone that influences metabolism, weight gain and drowsiness. "Six to eight years after the Chernobyl accident, a high prevalence of thyroid antibodies was found in children living in heavily contaminated areas of Belarus who had been exposed to radioactive fallout during their childhood," Dr. Furio Pacini said in the article. The researchers tested the thyroid function of children, who were 12 years old or younger at the time of the disaster, in the villages of Hoiniki and Braslav. Hoiniki had been heavily contaminated by the radioactive fallout while Braslav had a much lower exposure. They believe the auto-immune reaction was triggered by the radiation which damaged the thyroid cells and led to the release of thyroid antigens. "The possibility of future development of hypothyroidism in the people of Belarus exposed to fallout should be carefully observed," he added. (Reuters, September 4)
BELARUSIAN CARGO AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN AFRICAOn August 26 the Antonov-12 cargo aircraft of a private Belarusian company crashed 80 km outside Luanda, the capital of Angola. Five Belarusians, members of the crew, and 8 Angolan citizens died. According to a preliminary information, the crash was caused by the failure of one of the engines and a fire in another one. However, Belarus Transport Prosecutor Nikolai Koroliuk did not exclude a terrorist action, taking into account the complicated geopolitical situation in Angola. (Radio 101.2, September 1)
BELARUS VIOLATES LITHUANIA'S AIR SPACEA Belarusian military aircraft violated Lithuania's air space, Baltic news agency reported. In the afternoon of August 25, near the village of Dubichai, an aircraft of the Belarusian Air Force penetrated several miles into Lithuanian territory at an altitude of 450 feet for several minutes. Afterward, the aircraft returned to its base in the village of Zabolotie. According to Zenonas Vegiliavichus, Lithuanian Air Force Commander, the incident was immediately reported to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry. Major-General Alexei Silionok, chief of Belarusian Air Force Headquarters, neither disclaimed nor confirmed the claim made by Baltic news agency which has previously reported on three instances of Belarusian aircraft violating Lithuanian air space. (Svaboda, August 25)
NEW APPOINTMENTS IN LAW-ENFORCEMENT AGENCIESLukashenko signed several decrees on new appointments to the Security Council, KGB and Ministry of the Interior. Colonel Valentin Nikitin and Major-General Victor Novelski were appointed deputies to the State Secretary of the Security Council. Novelski had left his post of head of KGB Minsk and Minsk Region Department. Colonel Stepan Sukharenko, previously deputy KGB director, was appointed the head of KGB of Minsk. Colonel Mikhail Udovikov was appointed the first deputy to the Minister of the Interior of Belarus. (Radio 101.2, August 26)
LUKASHENKO RAISES MINIMUM WAGE FOR GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEESAlexander Lukashenko announced that the government will increase the minimum wage for state employees, RFE/RL's Belarusian Service reported on August 25. The hike will take place in two stages: beginning November 1, the minimum wage will be increased by 20 percent and from January 1, 1999, by 25 percent. The current minimum wage in Belarus is 250,000 Belarusian rubles (some $4). (RFE/RL, August 26)
PEOPLE'S CONGRESS OF PATRIOTIC FORCES HOLDS FIRST SESSIONThe press service of the Liberal-Democratic Party of Belarus issued a statement on August 27 announcing that the organizing committee of the People's Congress of Patriotic Forces had held its first session. Lists of delegates to the second All-Belarusian Assembly from Gomel, Vitebsk, Grodno and Mogilev regions and Minsk were approved. It will take place on September 2 and will be attended by 708 delegates, representatives of such Lukashenko supporters as the Slavic Union "Belaya Rus", the Patriotic Party, the Communist Party, the Union of Officers, the Union of Reserve Officers, as well as various Cossacks, Afghanistan War veterans, and pro-Lukashenko youth organizations. (Radio 101.2, August 27)
POETRY READINGS PERMITTEDThe Minsk City Executive Committee finally permitted the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party Narodnaya Hramada to organize poetry readings in Janka Kupala park in Minsk. According to Nikolai Statkevich, the city authorities approved all 10 applications submitted by the party's activists on August 18. The first of ten readings will take place on September 9. (Radio 101.2, August 26)
YURI KHASHCHEVATSKY MEETS WITH GERMAN POLITICIANSYuri Khashchevatsky, a famous Belarusian film director, and member of the Charter 97 Organizational Committee, took part in the International Action For Democracy held in Berlin on August 19. This annual event organized by artists was held in the Berliner Ensemble Berthold Brecht Theatre. During the event artists presented their views to politicians and social activists. More than a thousand participants took part in the discussions. Among them were the Minister of Culture of the French Republic, famous actor Jean Mare and others. Yuri Khashchevatsky spoke in the beginning of the second part of the event, right after the reading of the Declaration of Human Rights. In his 15-minute speech Khashchevatsky in his usual jocular manner told about the social and political situation in Belarus. Applause and laughter several times interrupted his speech. Khashchevatsky also met the leaders of the German Social-Democratic party Schroeder and Lafontain as well as Eli Wiesel, Noble Prize winner and investigator of Nazi war crimes. (Charter 97 Press Center, August 24)
The Belarus project is a part of Human Rights Defenders' Project, originally launched in 1982 to defend individuals and groups who suffer reprisals for promoting human rights in their societies. Among those the League defended were Andrei Sakharov, Kim Dae Jung and Jaime Castillo Velasco. The Belarus project was established to support Belarusian citizens in making their cases before the U.S. government and public and international fora and intergovernmental organizations regarding President Alexander Lukashenko's wholesale assault on human rights and the rule of law in Belarus. For more information e-mail belarus@perfekt.net or call (212) 684-1221 or fax (212) 684-1696.
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