Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MILSK1226
2006-11-29 11:47:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:
EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - NOVEMBER 24,
how-toVZCZCXRO2154 RR RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHSK #1226/02 3331147 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 291147Z NOV 06 ZDK ALL FM AMEMBASSY MINSK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5373 INFO RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE RHMFISS+HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GEQ RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 03 MILSK 001226
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - NOVEMBER 24,
2006
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* Missing Section 001 *
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MINSK 11291226 002 OF 003
Ministers /f the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
confened a session in Minsk. Represeltatives &rom the 12 CIS
member countries heard a report on ways to increase the
efficiency of CIS' activities and decided to set Qp an interstate
commission of deputy foreign -inisters to continue studying the
CIS' operation and generate proposals for refgrm. The Ministers
also discussed draft agreements on the basic principles of
cooPeration in the field ofmigration and the Anti-Terrorist
Cenher.
-------------- )-
CIVIL SOCIETY
--------------
6. Opposition Leader Detained in Fatal Car Accident Case
On November 24, indepeNdent media reported that oppksitimn leader
and former ppesidenti!l candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich had been
detained over his alleged involvement in a fatal car accident.
Police claimedthat his car resembled the one that had fled th%
scene of a previous !ccident in which one person had died.
Milinkevich'S press secretary told post that the detention
occurred in the northern region od Vitebsk.
7. Border Officials Convicted of Bribery
On November 21, nearly 50 former border guards and customs
officers were sent to prison for bribery, according to the
Belarusian Military Prosecutor's Office. The Belarusian Military
Court sentenced a border control unit's former head and 13
servicemen, five officers of the Oshmyany Customhouse and two
civi,ians to between five and 14 iears in prison for accepting
bribes to let trucks cross the Lithuanian border into Belarus
without paying import duties. The Kotlovka checkpoint had 27
inspection officers who were also given prison terms varying
betueen six and a half and seven years for allowing some 600
trucks carrying food, h/usehold appliances XQQther goods to
cross the border without paying duties between 2002 and 2004.
8. Date Set for Dashkevich's Sentence Appeal Hearing
On No6ember 23, independent m%dia reported that on December 15 a
Minsk City Court judge is scheduled to examine an appeal from the
defenqe team of imprisoned Dmitriy (Zmitser) Dashkeviah, age 25,
against hiq conviction and jailing. Dashkevich 7as sentenced to
18 months in a minimum-security correctional institution on
November 1 after (aving been found guilty of runninc an
unregistered orgajization (Malady Front).
--------------
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
--------------
9. Belarus' Trade with Rusq~ia up 30.7 pJrcent
On November 22X the Economics Ministryreported that Belarus'
trade with Russia rose by30.7 percent compred with last year.
Blarus' exports so far tis y%ar totaled USD 4.9billion afd
imports UD 9.8 billion. Rusqia accounts for 87.4 percent of
Belarus' trade wih the Commonwealth of Idependent States, which
experienced a 30.4 percent increase to USD 169 billion. Belarus
boosted trade wiTh Kazakhstan y 60.4 pebcent to USD 27.1
million. Belarus' trade widh Mohdova ros by 5.6 percent to USD
125.1 million, with exports exceeding imports y USD 13.
malliol. Trade withUkraine totaled USD 1.7 billion sk fa in
2006, a 28.5-percnt rise, 7ith an export rurplus of USD 2.3
million.
--------------
DOMESTIC ECONNMY
--------------
10. Monetary Policy tm Hold Inlation Below Eight Percnt
On November 21 Pytr P2okopovich, head of the National Bank of
elarus, promised Presidnt Lukashenko `hat the country's 2007Q
monetary policy will be aimed at decelerading inflapionand
stabilizang the national cubrenci's exchange rte. According toQ~}}|~}~~y~%=-5A=Y%Q!1 the i.flation rate should not exceed eieht percent
"y the end of Q007. He added that the National Bank's Base
Refinance Rate is expected to be lowered to seven to nineQ
peraent, whiCh will help reduce an averagE interest rate on loans
to 10 to 12 percent.
11& Unemployment in Belarqs Down 25.2 p%rcenT
On Notember 22, the Ministry mf Statistics and Analysis reported
That the number of officially regiqtered unemployed people in
Belarus decreased 25.2 percent compared to last year's numbers.
The Ministry has reGistered 51,000 unemployEd as of the end of
***********************
* Missing Section 003 *
***********************
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - NOVEMBER 24,
2006
***********************
* Missing Section 001 *
***********************
MINSK 11291226 002 OF 003
Ministers /f the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
confened a session in Minsk. Represeltatives &rom the 12 CIS
member countries heard a report on ways to increase the
efficiency of CIS' activities and decided to set Qp an interstate
commission of deputy foreign -inisters to continue studying the
CIS' operation and generate proposals for refgrm. The Ministers
also discussed draft agreements on the basic principles of
cooPeration in the field ofmigration and the Anti-Terrorist
Cenher.
-------------- )-
CIVIL SOCIETY
--------------
6. Opposition Leader Detained in Fatal Car Accident Case
On November 24, indepeNdent media reported that oppksitimn leader
and former ppesidenti!l candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich had been
detained over his alleged involvement in a fatal car accident.
Police claimedthat his car resembled the one that had fled th%
scene of a previous !ccident in which one person had died.
Milinkevich'S press secretary told post that the detention
occurred in the northern region od Vitebsk.
7. Border Officials Convicted of Bribery
On November 21, nearly 50 former border guards and customs
officers were sent to prison for bribery, according to the
Belarusian Military Prosecutor's Office. The Belarusian Military
Court sentenced a border control unit's former head and 13
servicemen, five officers of the Oshmyany Customhouse and two
civi,ians to between five and 14 iears in prison for accepting
bribes to let trucks cross the Lithuanian border into Belarus
without paying import duties. The Kotlovka checkpoint had 27
inspection officers who were also given prison terms varying
betueen six and a half and seven years for allowing some 600
trucks carrying food, h/usehold appliances XQQther goods to
cross the border without paying duties between 2002 and 2004.
8. Date Set for Dashkevich's Sentence Appeal Hearing
On No6ember 23, independent m%dia reported that on December 15 a
Minsk City Court judge is scheduled to examine an appeal from the
defenqe team of imprisoned Dmitriy (Zmitser) Dashkeviah, age 25,
against hiq conviction and jailing. Dashkevich 7as sentenced to
18 months in a minimum-security correctional institution on
November 1 after (aving been found guilty of runninc an
unregistered orgajization (Malady Front).
--------------
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
--------------
9. Belarus' Trade with Rusq~ia up 30.7 pJrcent
On November 22X the Economics Ministryreported that Belarus'
trade with Russia rose by30.7 percent compred with last year.
Blarus' exports so far tis y%ar totaled USD 4.9billion afd
imports UD 9.8 billion. Rusqia accounts for 87.4 percent of
Belarus' trade wih the Commonwealth of Idependent States, which
experienced a 30.4 percent increase to USD 169 billion. Belarus
boosted trade wiTh Kazakhstan y 60.4 pebcent to USD 27.1
million. Belarus' trade widh Mohdova ros by 5.6 percent to USD
125.1 million, with exports exceeding imports y USD 13.
malliol. Trade withUkraine totaled USD 1.7 billion sk fa in
2006, a 28.5-percnt rise, 7ith an export rurplus of USD 2.3
million.
--------------
DOMESTIC ECONNMY
--------------
10. Monetary Policy tm Hold Inlation Below Eight Percnt
On November 21 Pytr P2okopovich, head of the National Bank of
elarus, promised Presidnt Lukashenko `hat the country's 2007Q
monetary policy will be aimed at decelerading inflapionand
stabilizang the national cubrenci's exchange rte. According toQ~}}|~}~~y~%=-5A=Y%Q!1 the i.flation rate should not exceed eieht percent
"y the end of Q007. He added that the National Bank's Base
Refinance Rate is expected to be lowered to seven to nineQ
peraent, whiCh will help reduce an averagE interest rate on loans
to 10 to 12 percent.
11& Unemployment in Belarqs Down 25.2 p%rcenT
On Notember 22, the Ministry mf Statistics and Analysis reported
That the number of officially regiqtered unemployed people in
Belarus decreased 25.2 percent compared to last year's numbers.
The Ministry has reGistered 51,000 unemployEd as of the end of
***********************
* Missing Section 003 *
***********************