US embassy cable - 05MINSK1040

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 001040 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ECON, BO 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - August 31, 2005 
 
 
1.  The following are brief items of interest compiled 
by Embassy Minsk over the past week. 
 
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International Relations 
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2.  Parliamentarians Extremely Critical of USG Response to 
Hurricane Katrina 
 
On September 1, Chairman of the Commission for International 
Affairs and National Security of the Upper Chamber of 
Parliament Nikolai Cherginets condemned American efforts at 
coping with the crisis caused by hurricane Katrina in New 
Orleans.  Cherginets asserted that the Bush Administration 
is clearly unable to handle emergency situations, as 
evidenced by the thousands of unevacuated residents of New 
Orleans, the lack of food and clean water, and the bodies 
visible floating down the flooded streets.  According to 
Cherginets, this situation will prevent Bush being re- 
elected for a third term.  Sergei Kostyan of the Lower 
Chamber of Parliament stated that "the American regime is 
rotten".  However, the GOB announced that it is willing to 
help the U.S. through this difficult time, and Lukashenko 
expressed his condolences to President Bush.  On September 
2, GOB officials on two occasions opened meetings with CDA 
by expressing condolences. 
 
3.  Travel to Syria 
 
On August 24, Belarus and Syria signed an agreement on 
visa-free travel between the two countries for 
Belarusian and Syrian holders of diplomatic and official 
passports.  Ruslan Yesin, spokesman for the Belarusian 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the agreement will 
increase the number of exchanges of official 
delegations. 
 
4.  Never Lose Ukraine 
 
On August 28, after meeting with Ukrainian President 
Yushchenko, Lukashenko admitted that there are problems 
between Belarus and Ukraine, but assured that the 
relationship will never sour.  The presidents are ready 
to solve bilateral problems and bring the countries 
closer together.  Yushchenko agreed to draw up possible 
solutions to Belarus-Poland tensions.  Yushchenko and 
Lukashenko also discussed easing border crossing 
formalities and Belarus' role in seaport construction on 
the Crimea. 
 
5.  More Money in Russia, More Economic Equality in 
Belarus 
 
On August 25, newspaper Pravda reported that average pay 
in Russia is higher than in Belarus, but that Belarusian 
social stratification is less than Russian.  Experts say 
that this is partly due to the GOB's avoidance of "shock 
therapy" after the fall of communism and their refusal 
to accept privatization and a market economy.  The World 
Bank underlined the instability of Belarus' economic 
growth, citing high production costs, government 
regulations, an underdeveloped banking sector and a lack 
of foreign reserves. 
 
6.  Indian Trade Show 
 
On August 26, Emboffs attended the opening ceremony of a 
four-day trade show in Minsk highlighting Indian goods. 
The Indian Embassy and the Confederation of Indian 
Industry hosted the event.  The Indian Charge d'Affaires 
and the Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister praised their 
mutual political support, but lamented low trade levels. 
Exhibits included tea sellers, instant rice producers, 
bicycles and hand tool companies. 
 
7.  North Korean Nukes Are Bad 
 
On August 30, during a trip to South Korea, the Chairman 
of the Belarusian Council of the Republic Gennady 
Novitsky announced that the GOB is concerned over North 
Korea's nuclear program.  He believes that success of 
the six-party talks depends on participants' abilities 
to align their positions based on the UN's principle of 
sovereign equality for all countries. 
 
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Human Rights 
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8.  Activist Fined 
 
MINSK 00001040  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
On August 30, judge Nikolai Senko of Brest fined the pro- 
democracy Party of Belarusian Communists (PBC) activist 
Anatoly Novik USD 475 for holding an unauthorized 
meeting.  The PBC held the July 9 meeting to select 
candidates to the single candidate national congress. 
Novik plans to appeal the fine, arguing that the BPC is 
entitled to hold scheduled meetings in its office and 
that the judge violated the law by not allowing Novik to 
record the trial. 
 
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Economics 
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9.  Belarus May Cooperate 
 
On August 25, International Trade Center (ITC) 
representative Daniel Ivarsson announced that the ITC 
plans to work with the National Marketing and Price 
Center to develop Belarusian exports and raise the 
competitive capacity of Belarusian products abroad. 
Ivarsson commented that Belarus already relies on the 
ITC for information about the condition of foreign 
markets and foreign trade rules. 
 
10.  No More Corruption 
 
On August 25, Lukashenko spoke out against corrupt 
officials, saying that bribery and other economic crimes 
damage the government and cause economic damage to the 
country as a whole.  He noted that Belarus has a lower 
rate of economic crime and corruption than neighboring 
countries, but this is still too much.  He warned that 
corrupt government officials will be severely punished. 
 
11.  Tax Reduction 
 
On August 30, the Council of Ministers announced plans 
to reduce the overall tax burden on economic entities by 
0.8 percent.  In accordance with new draft legislation, 
on January 1, banks must adopt uniform rules of profit 
tax collection, and the GOB will annul excise duty on 
crude oil and fuel sales taxes. 
 
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Education 
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12.  Curb the Youth's Initiative 
 
On August 27, Minsk Mayor Mikhail Pavlov demanded that 
administrators of schools keep students out of politics. 
He continued that "young people are easy to get involved 
in political processes, but that directors and rectors 
must do everything possible to avoid that." 
 
13.  The More Propaganda, The Better 
 
On August 30, Education Minister Aleksandr Radkov 
announced that the Ministry will provide first-grade 
pupils with the textbook "My Motherland Belarus" as a 
gift from the President.  Lukashenko finds this to be an 
"interesting textbook on Belarusian state ideology". 
The Ministry will prepare similar textbooks for older 
students. 
 
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Anti-US 
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14.  U.S. Instigates Anti-Belarus Poland 
 
On August 26, pro-government weekly Obozrevatel asserted 
that the U.S. caused Poland's anti-Belarusian actions. 
Anton Ksenov stated that, "it's not a secret to anyone 
that the U.S. is helping Poland in all aspects." 
According to Ksenov, the U.S. is using Poland as a 
conduit or implementer of American democratic principles 
in CIS countries. 
 
15.  No Americans in Belarus 
 
On August 29, state daily Narodnaya Gazeta speculated 
that Americans may be blocked from entering Belarus 
prior to the presidential elections.  Anatoly Gridnev 
says this is due to U.S. Ambassador Krol's statements 
that the USG will provide funds for election 
observation.  Gridnev asserts that this is now illegal 
under the new presidential decree on foreign assistance. 
 
 
MINSK 00001040  003 OF 003 
 
 
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Miscellaneous 
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16.  Stalin, Come On Down 
 
On August 30, Russian TV reported on efforts in Svislach 
to restore decorations with Stalin's name and include 
his bust in the alley of heroes.  Authorities say the 
returning, and even adding, of Stalin to the facades of 
buildings and historical monuments is not ideology, but 
is the resurrection of history for the memory of the 
people.  On one building, Stalin's name now appears 15 
times, when originally it was not on the building at 
all. 
 
17.  "You Will Win" 
 
On August 25, Lukashenko announced that Belarusian 
athletes are able to win at least eight medals in the 
2008 Beijing Olympics.  He said that the state supports 
all sports and warned athletes not to complain about 
"poor conditions" because the Soviet team always "shone 
in the international arena" and the state of their 
sports fields were no better than current ones. 
 
18.  Only State Modeling Agency Receives License 
 
On August 30, the Ministry of Education (MoE) announced 
that only the state-run modeling agency successfully 
obtained a new license after Lukashenko's decree on 
slave trade and trafficking.  Out of 18 modeling 
schools, only the National Beauty School met conditions 
of specialized educational facilities and highly 
educated staff.  All other agencies failed to register. 
For example, the MoE denied a license to the Sergei 
Nagorny Fashion Studio and recommended that the Studio 
introduce law, economy, computer and psychology to its 
syllabus, then reapply. 
 
19.  Overrun by Beavers...We Think 
 
On August 30, Dr. Petr Kozlo of the Zoology Institute 
declared that the beaver population of Belarus has 
outgrown its optimal level.  He said environmentalists 
have not counted the beavers for at least ten years, but 
that there could be up to 45,000 beavers.  Kozlo blamed 
the alleged beaver explosion on new fashion trends, 
which have made fur less popular.  He suggested forcibly 
reducing the quantity of beavers by 15 percent in the 
next two years. 
 
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Quote of the Week 
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20.  On August 25, press secretary of the Union State 
Ivan Makushok criticized plans of Poland, Ukraine, 
Latvia and Lithuania to coordinate their policies on 
Belarus. 
 
"This is the development of the crusade against 
President Lukashenko and against Moscow, which started 
in Georgia, went to Ukraine, and now Belarus is on the 
way.  But such a compact and stable state as Belarus 
would be welcome in the EU, if compared to the uneasy 
Ukraine." 
 
 
Phlipot