LUKASHENKO UNCOVERS CONSPIRACY

-- Belarus Backs Brother Slavs --

LUKASHENKO BACKS BELGRADE ON KOSOVO

Belarus will give military help to the government of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic if NATO decides to use airstrikes to end fighting in Kosovo, President Alexander Lukashenko said on October 6. "The position of Belarus in relation to the events around the Kosovo conflict is even tougher than Russia’s. We will give Yugoslavia, unconditionally, any form of support and aid that our Slavic brothers may need. That includes the military sector, except for sending our own boys there," he stated. Yugoslav authorities, he said, could count on Belarus by virtue of an agreement on cooperation and mutual assistance. (ITAR-TASS, October 6)

LDPR LEADER SUPPORTS LUKASHENKO HELPING YUGOSLAVIA

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the self-styled Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, supported unequivocally the Belarusian president’s decision on extending assistance to Yugoslavia. It is a "wonderful and responsible" decision, Zhirinovsky said in his message to Lukashenko. Zhirinovsky will visit the embassies of Germany and Britain to reiterate the unacceptability of NATO strikes in Kosovo, the Duma press service told Interfax. The LDPR faction will demand disruption of diplomatic ties with NATO countries, the service said. (Interfax News Agency, October 7)

BELARUS DENIES SENDING AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM TO BELGRADE

The Belarusian Defense Ministry denies rumors that an S-300PM anti-aircraft system was sent to Yugoslavia in anticipation of possible NATO air strikes. No system of this kind had been taken out of Belarus, a ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Interfax Thursday. The S-300PM is the world’s best air defense system, experts say. If NATO does strike at targets in Yugoslavia, a protracted armed conflict will follow, says a statement made by members of the Belarusian House of Representatives on October 8. Parliamentarians support Lukashenko, who said Wednesday that his country was prepared to provide aid to Yugoslavia in line with the Friendship and Mutual Aid Treaty, said Sergei Kostyan, chairman of the parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. This will be chiefly political aid but "we are also prepared to send humanitarian aid and defense hardware to Belgrade," he added. (Interfax News Agency, October 8)

-- International Relations; Lukashenko vs. NATO; Antonovich vs. OSCE --

LUKASHENKO BEMOANS NATO’S "INSOLENT" PRESENCE

The report that the Russian State Duma ratified the treaty on military cooperation between Russia and Belarus was received very positively in Minsk. The Belarusian president repeatedly called on his neighbors to keep an eye on NATO, which has become "insolent," as he put it in an interview with Russian NTV on October 3. It looks as if Lukashenko’s appeal was finally heard. "I believe that, at some stage, Russia will come to realize that we need to strengthen our defensive capability. Everything is not so simple. You must understand, after all, that the North Atlantic alliance, nowadays comes right up to the border with Belarus, our common border with fraternal Russia. And it is probably no secret to you that now, I believe, three powerful radar centers have been installed on the border with Belarus to monitor the entire territory even beyond the boundaries of Belarus. That means that slowly but surely the bloc is becoming more and more insolent," said Alexander Lukashenko. (BBC, October 5)

BELARUSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER DISPUTES OSCE REPORTS

Ivan Antonovich, Belarusian Foreign Minister, has complained to Bronislaw Geremek, Polish Foreign Minister and the current OSCE Chairman-in-Office, that reports by the OSCE advisory and monitoring group about the situation in Belarus "do not correspond to the facts." Antonovich suggested that the OSCE chairman analyze the AMG’s performance in the first year of its stay in Minsk and outline further priorities. (Minsk News, October 6-12)

LUKASHENKO CONGRATULATES GERHARD SCHROEDER

Alexander Lukashenko congratulated Gerhard Schroeder, leader of the Social

Democratic Party of Germany, on his "conclusive victory" in the Bundestag election and his personal political success. The German people have expressed confidence in the political, economic and social policy declared by the SDPG, the message says.

Lukashenko wished Schroeder, who was the only German politician to meet Lukashenko during his summer visit to Germany, success for the benefit of Germany. (Minsk News, October 6-12)

LUKASHENKO CANCELS FOREIGN VISITS BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC CRISIS

The present acute economic problems, including the financial crisis in Russia, led to the cancellation of the Belarusian leader’s visit to Cuba. This statement was made by Sergei Martynov, Belarusian First Deputy Foreign Minister, at a recent briefing for journalists. According to Martynov, the Cuban side was informed about the cancellation of the visit, but a new date has not yet been decided. Lukashenko’s visit to Cuba will probably take place in 1999, Martynov said. The deputy minister also said at the briefing that, for the same reason, the president had decided not to take part in the work of the 53^rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Martynov added that "President has come to the conclusion that his visit to the General Assembly session in New York would be inappropriate due to the low-level [sic] nature of the meeting." (BBC, October 7)

--Belarus and Russia--

BELARUS AND RUSSIA CONSIDER UNION CITIZENSHIP

On September 28, Belarusian and Russian experts met at the Executive Committee of the Russia-Belarus Union in Moscow to consider proposals on dual citizenship of the Union and on the rights of the union citizens. Those two proposals define the legal status of a union citizen and contain recommendations on how to change national citizenship legislation to bring it in line with the union law. (Minsk News, October 6-12)

YELTSIN SENDS SECRET MESSAGE TO LUKASHENKO

During his recent one-day visit to Minsk, Yevgeny Primakov, Russian Prime Minister, handed a secret message from President Boris Yeltsin to his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, which may result in an expansion of the Russia-Belarus Union, according to the newspaper Izvestia. Although the content of that message was not disclosed, Primakov’s and Lukashenko’s comments were quite eloquent. "We will do everything for the Union to exist and grow stronger. I think similar thoughts are contained in President Yeltsin’s message," Primakov said in Minsk. "Let all those who say today that there is no Union and those who hope that there will be no Union cherish no such hopes. Will Ukraine and other states join the Union? They will. I am absolutely sure that we will all be together," Primakov echoed Lukashenko. (Russian Press Digest, October 2)

UNITED CIVIL PARTY OPPOSES INTEGRATION WITH RUSSIA

The Political Council of the United Civil Party said that it opposes "any scenarios of deeper integration with Russia" and called on the democratically-minded public in Belarus to join protests being organized by trade unions. The UCP spoke out against elections to the parliament of Belarus and Russia and any referendum on the issue because "the country does not have a democracy nor a legitimate parliament to ratify international agreements." (Minsk News, October 6-12)

OPPOSITION CONDEMNS PRIMAKOV'S "IMPERIALIST" VISIT

The Belarusian Popular Front regards visit to Belarus by Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov as "a new spiral of imperialist initiatives by Russia’s political elite." A statement released by the BPF press service says that Primakov’s visit to Minsk was of "a secret and mysterious nature." At the same time, it was stated that the two sides had discussed the progress of the preparation of documents which would be considered at the October session of the Executive Committee of the Russia-Belarus Union. The documents, to which the statement refers, are those on dual citizenship, joint state symbols and elections to the union’s parliament. BPF representatives also stated that the independence of Belarus and the future and well-being of our people are again in jeopardy. Russia’s colonial expansion in the center of Europe is generating a destabilizing threat for the whole continent. (Belapan news agency, October 1)

BELARUS TRADE UNIONS SUPPORT RUSSIAN PROTESTERS

Belarusian trade unions supported participants of the All-Russian protest action, demanding adjustments of the social and economic policy in the country, Franz Vitko, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Trade Union Federation, told ITAR/TASS on October 7. He said that the slogan of regulating the course of reforms is prevalent in both countries. Employees of many enterprises and organizations in Belarus do not receive wages for a considerable time too, Vitko said. Trade unions are concerned with low wages and pensions. There will be either local actions or nation- wide protests, he said. True, a large number of trade union organizations, which favor continuing negotiations with the government, press for a meeting with the Belarus president, Vitko said. (ITAR/TASS News Agency, October 7)

BELARUS, RUSSIA AGREE ON GAS PAYMENT ARREARS

Belarus clinched a barter agreement to provide tractors and other goods to settle arrears for Russian gas, Vasily Dolgolev, Deputy Prime Minister, told a news conference on October 1. Belarusian debts for Russian gas supplies soared to $220 million from $95 million at the beginning of the year. "Belarus simply had no convertible currency to pay for gas, but was happy to pay in goods, including tractors, refrigerators, television sets, food and building materials. Belarus would also be awarded contracts to complete construction of an international motorway from Moscow to Brest," Vasily Dolgolev added. (Reuters, October 2)

TRADE TURNOVER BETWEEN BELARUS, RUSSIA TO EXCEED $10 BLN

The trade turnover between Russia and Belarus reached U.S. $9 billion at the start of the current year, and is expected to exceed $10 billion year's end. Before the two countries formed a union, the turnover had been only $5 billion in 1995, Sergei Ling, Belarusian Prime Minister, pointed out at a meeting with a delegation from the Russian Smolensk region on October 8. The delegation was headed by Smolensk governor Alexander Prokhorov. The head of the Belarusian cabinet stated that the growth in turnover was largely due to strengthening and expanding ties with Russian regions. According to Ling, another step should be made in the development of trade and economic relations between the two Union countries, which is to switch over from reciprocal trading to more comprehensive and efficient forms of cooperation such as setting up holdings, joint enterprises and other joint economic structures. (ITAR/TASS News Agency, October 8)

MINSK DITCHES SINGLE EXCHANGE RATE PLAN TILL JULY 1999

The National Bank of Belarus postponed plans to establish a single exchange rate for the national currency by the end of the year because of a sharp fall in the value of the Belarusian ruble in August and September triggered by the crisis in Russia, Belapan news agency reported. The bank chairman said that before setting up the single rate, measures should be taken to "stabilize the financial market, reduce money issue, introduce a realistic interest rate and reduce the country’s trade deficit." (BBC, October 9)

SHAREHOLDERS OF SLAVNEFT ELECT NEW PRESIDENT

The October 3 shareholders' meeting of Slavneft, a Russian-Belarusian company, confirmed the decision of its board to remove company president Anatoly Fomin from his post as of August 8 and elect a new president. The Russian side, which owns 75 percent of the company’s shares, proposed the candidacy of Vasily Duma as the head of Slavneft. Vasily Duma was previously chief of the Fuel and Energy Ministry's directorate, and from August 8 has been acting president of Slavneft, winning 78 percent of the votes. (BBC, October 8)

--The Belarusian Economy--

SHADOW CABINET PRESENTS ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIC PROGRAMME

The National Executive Committee (the Shadow Cabinet) of Belarus issued a statement on the economic situation and a forecast for its development in the near future. The statement contains criticism of the economic and political course pursued by the authorities and a program for leading the country out of the crisis. The main points of the program are as follows: freedom for the mass media; preservation and consolidation of sovereignty and state independence; a new political and economic course based exclusively on national interests... [agency's ellipses] stabilization of the national currency and elimination of the administrative currency market; significant cuts in state bureaucracy; reform of the taxation system in favor of lower taxes; and the development of market institutions. The NEC has instructed its chairman, Gennady Karpenko, to call on Alexander Lukashenko, to propose a broad discussion of the shadow cabinet’s program for dealing with the crisis. A decision was also adopted to demand that President Lukashenko, owing to the expiration of his term in office in 1999 in accordance with the 1994 constitution, explain to the Belarusian people the reasons for the failure to implement the Program of Economic and Social Development of the Republic of Belarus and to keep his election campaign promises to improve the living standard of citizens. (BBC, October 8)

LUKASHENKO PLEDGES EQUAL CONDITIONS FOR ALL PRODUCERS

A national economy incorporating several types of ownership is one of the main principles of the economic policy of the Belarusian government, Alexander Lukashenko said on October 2 addressing the founding conference of the Belarusian confederation of entrepreneurs. A state policy regarding the business sector, according to the president, will include the following obligatory elements: guarantees for equal economic conditions for all economic entities and assistance for the development of the production sector. (BBC, October 5)

--Opposition News--

FARMER GOES ON HUNGER-STRIKE TO DEFEND HIS RIGHTS

On September 22 Pavel Krushkin, a farmer from Kruglyanski region went on hunger-strike on Lenin Square near the House of Soviets in Mogilev. His cause was the right of farmers to sell their potatoes. A day before the farmer had tried to sell his potatoes to a Russian partner. However, the truck was stopped by the local police on the way to Russia and he was fined for 200m Belarusian rubles (some $2,000) for "threatening the country’s food security." An hour into the farmer’s hunger strike, the authorities admitted that Pavel Krushkin was the competent owner [sic] of his own potatoes and therefore was allowed to sell his crop anywhere. Then the authorities explained that the farmer just needed to wait for the decision of the appropriate commission, which discussed whether it was proper under the presidential decree No.15 to allow Belarusian farmers to export food products abroad. (Belaruskaya gazeta, October 6)

GOVERNMENT POSTPONES MEETINGS WITH LABOR UNIONS

Mikhail Myasnikovich, chief of the Presidential Administration, postponed his meeting with Vladimir Goncharik, the leader of the Belarusian Federation of Labor Unions, scheduled for September 30. A meeting of a council formed of representatives of the government, unions and employers scheduled for October 1, was also rescheduled due to the "government officials’ tight working schedule". Trade union leaders warned the government about the possibility of spontaneous strikes. (Minsk News, October 6-12)

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ACTIVISTS IN BIALYSTOK

On October 7, Amnesty International activists from Belarus, Cuba and Bosnia and Herzegovina launched in Bialystok a series of meetings with residents of Polish towns. The AI activists are working to coordinate various international organizations active in the defense of human rights. Jardanka Milicevic, activist of a women organization in Bosnia, stressed that there are about 200 human rights societies in her country and the problem is that they should cooperate with each other. Alexander Byalatski, leader of the Human Rights Protection Center in Minsk, pointed to the role of the Poland-Belarus Civic Education Center in Bialystok in presenting the true picture of his country to Polish society. (Interfax News Agency, October 7)

OPPOSITION LEADER TAKES GOVERNMENT POST

Vasily Novikov, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Belarusian Communist Party and First Deputy Chairman of the 13^th Parliament, recently landed a government job, while many of his former colleagues are still unemployed. According to his wife, Novikov will be working at the Belarusian Embassy in Moldova. (Minsk News, October 6-12)

--Drozdy Developments--

EU: BELARUS MUST OBSERVE ACCORDS TO RESOLVE EMBASSY ROW

"The European Union places the highest value on observing international agreements," Peter Kolb, German charge d’affaires in Belarus, told a news conference on October 2. "Problems of housing or safety in the Drozdy conflict are secondary. But Belarus is looking at the problem from its point of view. The departure of the ambassadors had political causes and their return also requires a political dimension," said Kolb. He added that the European Union, which sent a mission to examine the sites, was not so much interested in finding homes for its envoys as in ensuring Belarus observed international treaties. "Fortunately we can now discuss the Drozdy problem more seriously. We aren’t hearing about the danger to the residences from waste water from a nearby poultry plant. We respect the president’s safety, but we also demand respect for agreements. ... All the states of the EU have a single approach -- observance of the Vienna Convention," Kolb stated. (Reuters, October 5)

--Elections?--

REFERENDUM ON CONFIDENCE IN LUKASHENKO DEEMED UNNECESSARY

Anatoly Malofeyev, Chairman of the House of Representatives, said that he sees no need to hold a referendum about confidence in President Alexander Lukashenko, Interfax reported on October 2. Malofeyev told Interfax that Belarusians had expressed their attitude toward the President and his policies in the November 1996 referendum. Lydia Yermoshina, chair of the Central Electoral Commission, told Sovetskaya Belarusiya on October 1 that the referendum proposal is "juridical nonsense" since the Belarusian Constitution does not envisage plebiscites on issues such as confidence in politicians. She said nothing about the presidential elections in 1999.

(RFE/RL, October 5)

ELECTIONS TO CITY COUNCILS IN 1999

In early October, President Lukashenko met Lydia Yermoshina, chair of the Central Electoral Commission, to discuss the issue of holding elections to city councils (local Soviets). The elections will probably take place in late March of 1999. (Belaruskaya gazeta, October 6)

--Disarmament--

DISARMAMENT OBLIGATIONS FULFILLED DESPITE LOSSES

In compliance with international disarmament treaties, Belarus destroyed nearly twice as many armored vehicles as the USA, England and France combined ,and over 3,000 tanks and 150 military airplanes and helicopters. These facts were cited by Sergei Ling, Belarusian Prime Minister, in his address to a meeting between municipal delegations from Belarusian and Russian towns, which took place in Gomel. The prime minister said that the republic lost about $45,000-48,000 per destroyed tank. He valued the nuclear weapons, which had been withdrawn from the republic, at $4m-5m. Despite these considerable financial losses, Belarus fulfilled all its disarmament obligations to the international community fully and ahead of schedule, Ling said. (BBC, October 5)

--Nuclear News--

NUCLEAR ENERGY DEBATE HOTS UP

On September 29, Alexander Mikhalevich, director of the Power Engineering Institute of the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences, said at a round-table that Belarus should consider all sources of energy. Mikhalevich said Belarusian energy production would decline by over 60 per cent by 2010 because of the limited service life of existing power stations. He said that Belarus should build a nuclear station "for energy security reasons." Professor Ruslan Ihnatishchaw, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament’s Education, Culture and Science Committee, opposed the construction of a nuclear power plant in Belarus. (BBC, October 9)

CHERNOBYL CONTINUES TO REAP A GRIM HARVEST

Congenital deformities in children in Belarus have risen by 83 percent since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, according to New Scientist, a weekly publication, in its October 7 issue. The increase in cases of cleft palate, Down's syndrome and deformed limbs and organs is highest in areas hardest hit by the fallout from the world’s worst nuclear disaster 12 years ago. (Reuters, October 8)

--LUKASHENKO UNCOVERS CONSPIRACY--

PRESIDENT SOLVES THE CASE OF MURDERED FRIEND

The murder of Yevgeny Mikolutsky, the Belarusian president’s personal friend and ex- chairman of the State Control Committee for the Mogilev region, was solved, Alexander Lukashenko told the press in Minsk on October 7. Mikolutsky was killed by unidentified assailants in his own apartment block in Mogilev. Lukashenko said during his friend’s funeral that he would take the most serious measures to ensure that this crime was solved. He announced that over 60 miscellaneous crimes were unearthed during the investigation, including the case of ex-minister of agriculture Vasily Leonov and Chairman of the Rassvet collective farm Vasily Starovoitov, currently kept in custody. The people who killed Mikolutsky had "more far-reaching plans," Lukashenko said. "They wanted to reach me," he said adding that his own life had hung by a thread. Terrorist acts were planned "just several meters from here," Lukashenko said pointing at the Drozdy complex where foreign embassies were once located. [Lukashenko gave the interview in a sports center not far from Drozdy.] "Traces of the crime lead abroad, as well," he added. He announced that during the investigation "a large amount of weapons" intended for carrying out terrorist acts had been found. He said that in the near future details of the investigation would be disclosed to the public and that the criminals would be tried. Lukashenko implied that practically all of Mikolutsky’s murderers had been arrested. (Interfax News Agency, October 5)