Future of Minsk Forum in Doubt

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 001494 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/15 TAGS: PREL PGOV BO SUBJECT: Future of MINSK Forum in Doubt Classified by Ambassador George Krol for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) The German Embassy in MINSK hosted the eighth annual Minsk Forum November 24-26. This forum is meant to bring together Belarusian and German policy leaders and NGOs to discuss politics, economics and social issues. This year seven Bundestag members attended, as well as several German and Polish NGOs. However, the German Embassy reported several problems with the event this year, which make them think there will not be a ninth forum. ¶2. (C) German Poloff Tilman Schmit-Neuerburg told Econoff that the Belarusian MFA European Division head Valeriy Romashko warned them three weeks before the event they must register the forum as "technical assistance" with the Presidential Administration. This would have been a cumbersome process that usually takes at least several months to complete. The Embassy responded that the Vienna Convention allows them to host an event without registration, which the MFA eventually accepted. Romashko also complained that invitations for GOB officials to speak "were not cordial enough," and he suggested, "that next year the MINSK Forum be held in Berlin." ¶3. (C) The day before the forum began Romashko told the German Embassy it would not be "appropriate" for the keynote speaker, Vice President of the European Parliament Janusz Onyszkiewicz, to come to Belarus. Onyszkiewicz's aide told Econoff this warning only made Onyszkiewicz want to come all the more. They traveled to MINSK by train, and had no problems at the border. The Germans were also informed at the last minute that none of the MFA officials that were invited to speak could attend. Some working level MFA officials came to watch, but none participated in the forum. A Deputy Economic Minister did speak in one session. The German Embassy was disappointed that most of the Belarusian MPs they invited did not come. A few did, and tried to invite the Bundestag members to "official" meetings at parliament, but the Bundestag members politely refused. ¶4. (C) Comment: Given these problems, the Germans do not know if they will be allowed to host the ninth MINSK Forum, in November 2006. State masthead newspaper Sovietskaya Belarussia ran a positive article about the forum, but many of the speakers were openly critical of Lukashenko's "dictatorship." If it is allowed, the Germans plan to co- host the next forum with the Ukrainian Embassy. Earlier in the year the GOB caused numerous problems that led to the cancellation of a Swedish NGO forum in Minsk, so the Germans are correct in pondering the future of their forum. KROL