LUKASHENKO FINDS A NEW FRIEND IN HUGO CHAVEZ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000787

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD VE BO
SUBJECT: LUKASHENKO FINDS A NEW FRIEND IN HUGO CHAVEZ

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1. Summary: On July 23-25, Lukashenko hosted Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez in Minsk, marking the first official visit of a Latin
American leader in Belarus' history. During the series of meetings
and ceremonies, the leaders lauded each other's political and
economic policies and occasionally shared criticism of their common
enemy, the U.S. The state media's extensive coverage portrayed
Chavez as an important world leader and his visit as a significant
milestone for Belarus' influence in Latin America. The "strategic
partnership" the two leaders signed called for increased
cooperation in science, agriculture, and petroleum spheres and for
the development of a Venezuelan-Belarusian commission responsible
for creating joint projects. Although the agreements on bilateral
trade did not differ much from those Belarus makes with other
"friendly" nations in the Middle East and Africa, Chavez's
strikingly similar style of government has paved the way for
increased bilateral cooperation for each other's political and
economic policies. End Summary.

The Brothers Meet
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2. In the evening of July 23, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
arrived in Minsk for a three-day visit (although a day later than
scheduled) to a red carpet welcome with military fanfare and was
greeted by Prime Minister Sergey Sidorsky and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Sergey Martinov. On July 24 at the Presidential
Administration, which was clad in Venezuelan and Belarusian flags,
an eager President Aleksandr Lukashenko greeted Chavez with an
emotional handshake and an awkward hug. After standing at
attention to both countries' national anthems and watching soldiers
march past, Lukashenko and Chavez began their negotiations in a
"one on one" conversation in which they praised each other's
leadership. Chavez told Lukashenko he had come to Belarus to
express Venezuela's solidarity with Lukashenko and thanked Belarus
for supporting Venezuela's government. He expressed to Lukashenko
his happiness to be in Belarus and claimed his goal was to form a
"pact of unity" with his new friend Lukashenko and to "lay the
foundation stone" for future relations. Lukashenko noted there
were many opportunities for a partnership and no closed topics
between Belarus and Venezuela.


3. Lukashenko and Chavez later held a roundtable discussion with
Lukashenko's top cabinet members and Chavez's delegation.
Lukashenko praised Chavez's "extensive knowledge" of Venezuelan and
Belarusian economics and defense and expressed happiness that
Venezuela was ready to establish bilateral agreements with Belarus.
Chavez lauded Lukashenko for averting a color revolution, claiming
that "they" [the U.S.] also try to create such revolutions in
Venezuela and stressed that multi-polarity would save the world
from madness, Nazism, warfare, aggression, and color revolutions.
Lukashenko responded, adding that media outlets [controlled by the
West] distort the actual situation in a country and misrepresent
their heads of state. Chavez went further stating that Venezuelans
and their Belarusian "friends and brothers" would not be "deceived"
or "colonized" and would defend citizens' interests from those of
the "demonic capitalists." [Note: Before arriving in Belarus,
Chavez told reporters that he and Lukashenko share a common enemy.]

A Strategic Partnership Signed
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4. At the end of the negotiations, Chavez and Lukashenko signed a
joint declaration for a long-term "strategic partnership" in
sciences, technologies, energy, and petrochemicals that included
provisions for bilateral consultations between Belarusian and
Venezuelan ministries and parliaments on scientific, technical, and
agriculture innovation. The partnership also called for the
creation of a Belarusian-Venezuelan high-level commission that
would develop bilateral projects in the economic, scientific,
technical, and energy spheres. [Note: Lukashenko's Presidential
Administration later that day announced that Head of Belarus'
Security Council Viktor Sheiman would co-chair the commission.]
Chavez, interested in improving Venezuelan agriculture and house
construction, noted he would like to import Belarusian trucks,
tractors, and fertilizers and other Belarusian equipment. Belarus'
technology, according to Chavez, would help Venezuela quickly
modernize its industry. Chavez also indicated that Venezuela was
ready to purchase Belarusian extraction and refining equipment to
develop Venezuela's oil industry and increase imports of Belarusian
potash fertilizer.

In Honor of Bolivar
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5. On July 25, Lukashenko held a ceremony for Chavez at the
Military Academy in honor of the birthday of Venezuela's hero,
Simon Bolivar. Lukashenko told Chavez it was a great honor to

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share in the celebration of Venezuela's "great son" on Belarusian
land. He lauded Venezuela for choosing its own path to freedom and
independence and for creating economic and political conditions
that secure Venezuela's sovereignty. Lukashenko expressed thanks
to the Venezuelan people for its contribution to the anti-Nazi
campaign in WWII and hoped Belarusian-Venezuelan relations would be
long term. According to Lukashenko, both countries share the same
interest in securing a higher standard of living, maintaining
national security, and developing the economy. Lukashenko again
castigated the West and U.S. for their "unprecedented" pressure and
attempts to force Belarus and Venezuela to adopt "alien ideology
and morals" and "pseudo-economic reforms." The Belarusian
President commented that the West accuses countries like Belarus
and Venezuela of abusing human rights and hindering democracy
simply because their countries refused to accept the West's model
of development and chose to build their home without "foreign
architects and contractors." Lukashenko said each state has a
right to follow the course chosen by its people and Belarus and
Venezuela would defend this "sacred" right by all available means.


6. Chavez expressed satisfaction with the strategic alliance
Belarus and Venezuela had formed during his visit and added to
Lukashenko's scathing of the U.S. Chavez reiterated that it was
vital for Venezuela and Belarus to resist internal and external
threats and defend their political and economic course, which are
efficient and aimed at creating a multi-polar world. He accused
the U.S. and "certain" historians of describing the 20th century as
"America's Century" in an attempt to erase history. Chavez
remarked that the 20th century was one of great revolutions. After
the Soviet Union's collapse, the U.S. declared capitalism and the
free market economy as the victors over socialism and the
sovereignty of nations and tried to expand its hegemony and empire
over Belarus and Venezuela. Chavez added that sovereignty and
socialism would never die.

GOB Hopes For South American Business
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7. PM Sidorsky told reporters at the airport following Chavez's
departure for Moscow that Venezuela and Belarus would start joint
projects in the construction sector and that Belarusian experts
would soon be sent to Venezuela. First Deputy Prime Minister
Vladimir Semashko noted that Venezuela and Belarus in 2007 would
boost trade to USD 1 billion and develop large projects in oil
production and fertilizers. [Note: Trade with Venezuela in 2005
totaled USD 15.5 million, but only USD 6,000 by the end of the
first half of 2006.] According to Semashko, oil refined in the
western hemisphere is sold at USD 485-490 per ton, which would
bring a large profit for Belarusian-refined crude from Russia.
Semashko also expected Belarus to increase its potash fertilizer
exports to Venezuela ten-fold to 500,000 tons per year and create a
joint-project factory in Venezuela that would produce fertilizers.

Comment
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8. The state media provided endless coverage of Chavez's visit to
Belarus, showing pictures of Lukashenko and Chavez embracing each
other under such headlines as "Friendship From The Heart" and "Axis
Of Kindness And Creation." Lukashenko could not hide his happiness
to host Chavez, the first South American leader in Belarus and
Lukashenko's brother-in-arms against the U.S. Head of State visits
to Minsk, including those from the CIS, are rare for Lukashenko, so
each one is considered a holiday for the GOB. The agreements
reached between Belarus and Venezuela do not differ from previous
agreements made between Belarus and pariah states like Iran, Syria,
and Sudan. The GOB did not hide its interest in finding a place in
Venezuela's oil industry or using the country as a springboard for
expanding Belarusian exports to other South American countries.
More importantly, Lukashenko found a friend in Chavez, whose
behavior mirrored that of Lukashenko's, and the Belarusian leader
will likely accept Chavez's invitation to visit Venezuela in the
near future.

PHLIPOT