US embassy cable - 05MINSK1458

UNCLAS MINSK 001458 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CCA 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, ETTC, PREL, BO, CU 
SUBJECT: Belarus: Libertad Act 
 
Ref: State 207359 
 
1. Summary: The GOB strongly supports the Castro government, 
publicly opposes the U.S. embargo on Cuba, has no interest in 
promoting democracy, the protection of human rights or free market 
reform, and is building economic ties with Cuba.  Minsk and Havana 
in fact became sister cities in November.  End summary. 
 
 
No Democracy Promotion among Close Friends 
------------------------------------------ 
 
2. Belarus considers Cuba to be one of its few close friends and 
allies on the world stage, and has no interest in promoting 
democracy or human rights in Havana.  Speaking before the United 
Nations General Assembly on September 16, Belarusian President 
Aleksandr Lukashenko lashed out at the UN for being manipulated by 
the U.S. when it raises human rights questions in Belarus and Cuba. 
He also called for the UN and other countries to oppose American 
efforts to pressure Cuba and Venezuela, and allow them to 
"independently determine their own lives." 
 
3. On September 12, Lukashenko invited Fidel Castro to visit Minsk, 
where "we will accord him a welcome fit for the closest and best 
friend."  On November 24, chairman of the Belarusian parliament's 
Committee on International Affairs Vadim Popov announced Minsk and 
Havana have excellent political ties and parliamentary relations, 
and that the two countries always support each other on the 
international arena.  Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergey Martynov 
visited Cuba in November 2004 and promised continued Belarusian 
support.  These manifestations of friendship pay off for Minsk; on 
November 28, Cuba became the first country to complete its 
bilateral talks on Belarus' entry to the WTO. 
 
4. Minsk mayor Mikhail Pavlov led a delegation to Cuba October 29 
through November 2.  While there he established a sister-city 
relationship between Minsk and Havana.  Press reports claim Pavlov 
met with senior officials from the ministries of construction, 
transportation, metallurgical industry and machine-building, basic 
industry, external trade, foreign affairs/foreign investment and 
economic cooperation, as well as with "other Cuban governmental 
agencies."  A main topic of conversation was the possibility to 
build a factory in Cuba to assemble Belarusian tractors. 
 
 
Growing Economic Relations 
-------------------------- 
 
5. As of mid-November, since the beginning of the year Belarus had 
exported to Cuba: 134 trucks from the Minsk Automobile Factory 
(MAZ), 42 mining vehicles from the Mogilev Automobile Factory, 24 
dump trucks from the Belarusian Automobile Factory (BelAZ), and 37 
tractors.  Before the end of the year Belarus also intends to ship 
roughly 200 trucks from the Minsk Tractor Factory (MTZ), 250 
engines from the Minsk Motor Plant, and 74 MAZ truck cabs. 
 
6. The GOB announced Belarus exported USD 10.2 million worth of 
goods to Cuba from January to September, up 88.4% from a year 
earlier (note: this number does not reflect all the deliveries 
noted above).  Belarus imported USD 7 million worth of goods, 
mostly raw sugar, from January to September.  Even though 
Lukashenko signed a decree in November 2004 reducing import tariffs 
for Cuban goods by 25%, Belarusian imports of Cuban goods dropped 
76.2% for the first nine months of the year. 
 
PHLIPOT