Section: Belarus Digest (Belarus)
Belarus’s plan to import Iranian and Azerbaijani oil: How serious is Minsk?
Belarus Council of the Republic Speaker M. Myasnikovich and Iranian Parliament Speaker A. Larijani, Tehran, 6 February 2017. Image: IRNA On 3 April, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenka succeeded in securing concessions from Vladimir Putin following a year-long oil and gas dispute between the two countries. In order to reach a deal, Minsk...
Killing children on social media
A whale etched with a razor on a teenager’s arm. Source: thesun.co.uk In March, two Belarusian youngsters attempted to commit suicide while playing a ‘game’ on the popular Russian social network VK. Belarusian law enforcement services have initiated two criminal cases, connecting the suicides with a game called ‘blue...
Belarus authorities uncover a ‘putsch’ to deter mass protests
Young members of Patriot Club. Photo: svaboda.org On 22 March, Alexander Lukashenka revealed an extraordinary discovery – the authorities had arrested armed fighters who were planning to overthrow the government on 25 March, the day when the Belarusian opposition traditionally celebrates Freedom Day with mass rallies. The fighters allegedly had...
Poor civic literacy in Belarus: a legacy of undemocratic rule
The recently published survey Civic Literacy in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus revealed that the civic literacy rate is lower in Belarus than in Ukraine and Moldova, except when it comes to such issues as budget and taxes. The survey attempted to determine how people in the three countries understand the principles of interaction between the state...
Schengen visa facilitation: jeopardised by fear of migrants?
Recent statements by Belarusian officials have confirmed that the country’s citizens should not expect a more liberal visa regime with Europe in the foreseeable future. Belarus’s decision to introduce a conditional visa-free regime for nationals of eighty countries, many of them European, does not mean Europe has to reciprocate....
Schengen visa facilitation: jeoparised by fear of migrants?
Recent statements by Belarusian officials have confirmed that the country’s citizens should not expect a more liberal visa regime with Europe in the foreseeable future. Belarus’s decision to introduce a conditional visa-free regime for nationals of eighty countries, many of them European, does not mean Europe has to reciprocate....
Moscow erects border with Belarus, undermines its links with Ukraine and the Baltics
Image: TUT.by On 16 February, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, announced that the Kremlin does not plan to introduce a visa regime with Belarus. His statement comes in a context of increasingly harsh measures on behalf of Moscow towards Belarus over the past half year, beginning when Russia decided to partially reinstate its...
Big talk with the President, a drop in gambling, armed neo-Nazis – Belarus state press digest
Minsk casino. Photo: realt.by Last week Alexandr Lukashenka spoke for over seven hours to journalists emphasising deep problems with Russia at the press conference “Big talk with the president”. According to him, Russia should not fear an influx of migrants after Belarus’s visa-free regime starts. Lithuania criticises the Belarusian NPP for...
Soft Belarusisation in Hrodna
Mova Nanova courses. Source: dzvin.by On 20 January, the Belarusian jury and TV audiences selected the band Navi to represent Belarus at the Eurovision Song Contest. For the first time in the history of Eurovision, Belarus’s performance will be in the Belarusian language. This is just one of many small steps that Belarus has recently taken...
Belarusian diplomacy in 2016 – Annual foreign policy digest
Alexander Lukashenka, his son Mikalaj and Pope Francis. Photo: president.gov.by In 2016, Belarusian diplomats succeeded in getting rid of most Western sanctions, improving the international legitimacy of the national parliament, regularising dialogue with Europe, and converting Poland from a strong critic …read more Source: Belarus...
