Since 22 August 2013 all foreigners can get Belarusian visas through the Minsk National Airport just after their arrival.
However, these and other relaxations in the visa regime on the eve of the 2014 Ice Hockey World Cup still remain...
photo: monikawithak.blogspot.com
Since 22 August 2013 all foreigners can get Belarusian visas through the Minsk National Airport just after their arrival.
However, these and other relaxations in the visa regime on the eve of the 2014 Ice Hockey World Cup still remain incomplete. They leave a number of obstacles on the path to simplifying travel to Belarus and from Belarus which includes low number of no visa treaties with other countries and high visa costs.
Moreover, the government does not want to address the painful issue of the simplification of the visa regime with the EU for purely political reasons. Visa liberalisation will lead to potentially unpleasant consequences for Belarusian authorities such as brain drain and the impossibility to prohibit undesirable Western politicians and activists from entering Belarus.
How to Get a Belarusian Visa?
Naturally, to enter Belarus nearly all of those coming from countries outside of the former Soviet Union must obtain visas. Belarusian legislation provides for three types of entry visas: B — transit visa; C — short-term visa, valid for up to 90 days and D — long-term visa, valid for up to one year with the right to stay up to 90 days. Entry visas may be single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry.
One can get any of these visas either at a Belarusian embassy (consulate) or in the Minsk National Airport. The law requires foreigners to submit a number of documents such as completed visa application form, a foreign travel document, and other support documents (depending on the purpose of the visit – invitations, confirmation letters, etc).
The process of granting visas normally takes five days (two days for urgent applications for an additional fee). When denying the application a consular officer does not have to explain the reasons.
Beginning 22 August 2013 all foreigners can also obtain visas in the Minsk National Airport in accordance with a newly adopted regulation of the Council of Ministers. However, this relaxation of the visa regime has failed to release foreign visitors from all bureaucratic obstacles. Visa support documents must be submitted to the Foreign Admissions Division (FAD) of the Consular Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in advance: for short-term visas – no later than 3 business days before the expected date of arrival (5 days – for long-term visas).
Belarus has concluded a limited number of treaties establishing no visa regime. For now Belarusians can travel freely to 22 countries, a figure which appears to be a relatively low figure in comparison with its neighbouring states.
In addition, Belarusian authorities have recently announced that they will allow all foreigners to stay in the country during the Ice Hockey World Championship in May 2014 without visas, given they have bought one ticket to any hockey game of the tournament.
By relaxing the visa requirements at the airport and during the upcoming Ice Hockey Cup, the Belarusian government is taking steps in the right direction. For Moldova, Ukraine and Russia, for example, foreigners do not have the possibility of obtaining visas at the airport, only in consulates and embassies.
However, moving towards less bureaucracy should be accompanied by cancelling visa regimes with other new states.
Visa Costs: Selectively High
The cost of entry visas in Belarus varies much depends not only on their term but also on the citizenship of the applicant. The latest rise in prices occurred in 2010 when visa costs increased by 50% to 200% depending on the place of issuance (airport or embassy).
The official web site of the Belarusian Ministry for Foreign Affairs explains that the difference in the visa costs by the “reciprocity principle”. In other words, Belarus applies the same tariffs to foreigners as those countries apply to Belarusian citizens.
If the authorities were to become serious about attracting foreign travellers, businessmen or students they would lower the visa prices. The actual figures indicate that the Belarusian government has chosen not to go this route.
Politics Hinder Visa Regime Relaxation with the EU
The strict EU-Belarus visa regime, however, remains one of the most crucial problems for Belarusian civil society, business and youth with regards to visa affairs.
In 2012 Belarus became a world leader in the number of Schengen visas issued per capita (74 visas per 1,000 citizens). Most of those visas are short term and single-entry. Belarusians have to pay €60 ($79) for these visas (the highest price in Europe), while Moldovans, Ukrainians and Russians pay only €35 ($46).
Calls for visa regime relaxation filled numerous memos sent by Belarusian civil society groups to European institutions. The civil coalition ”Visa Free Travel Campaign: Go Europe! Go Belarus!”, established in 2011, became one of the most remarkable initiatives of its kind. They regularly launch various activities from essay contests to making movies and photo albums, all of them related to campaigning for a visa free regime. The Council of the EU has inserted a visa liberalisation clause in a number of its documents on Belarus during the last years. Yet, no visible progress has been achieved.
A part of the problem is that the EU Visa Code is binding for all the Schengen member-states — countries cannot unilaterally address the visa issue: any progress must be based upon the reciprocity principle. On the other hand, the Belarusian government links this issue to EU sanctions, which cannot be lifted without advances in human rights in Belarus.
Though not admitting to it, the Belarusian regime has some other problems with a possible visa free regime (or its relaxation) with the European Union.
Independent polls show that a huge number of Belarusians want to leave the country for various reasons. The Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies (BISS) gives a figure of 28% for those who wish to emigrate and the Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS) has the number at 41.4% (53.7% – for temporary migration). Relaxation of the visa regime with the EU will surely foster this process. Bearing in mind that about 350,000 Belarusian citizens already work abroad, as the BISS survey has shown, the government will unlikely be interested in stimulating further migration.
Secondly, more Belarusians travelling to the West means more democratic sentiments and ideas, poisonous for the autocracy — ideas that could penetrate Belarusian society.
Moreover, maintaining a visa regime with the EU enables Belarusian authorities to prevent undesirable western politicians and civil activists from visiting the country by simply rejecting their visa applications. In September 2012 this happened with European MPs Emanuelis Zingeris and Marieluise Beck.
Thus, the Belarusian government may take some measures to simplify its visa regime, especially for the sake of the image of events like the Ice Hockey Championship. But the authorities will hardly venture to remove their last protective barrier from the EU because they place their political interests above the needs of Belarusian society.
Artyom Shraibman is a political correspondent and editor working for a major Belarusian informational portal TUT.BY in Minsk. He is currently pursuing MSc in Politics and Communication with the London School of Economics.
Partnership with Sri Lanka, Uralkali, African Flu – Belarus State TV Digest
Over the last week scandalous arrest of the head of the Russian company “Uralkali” dominated the news on Belarusian state television.
The media reported also on the opinion of Russians and Belarusians on the arrest of the CEO of Uralkali.
The media also covered Alexander Lukashenka’s orders on combatting the African flu epidemic in Belarus and the very first visit of the head of Sri Lanka to Minsk.
Domestic Politics
Director of Uralkali charged. The General Prosecutor of Belarus opened a criminal case against the head of the Russian potash company, Uralkali. Belarusian law enforcement arrested Vladislav Baumgartner, one of the suspects, at Minsk international airport. The television took note that over the last few years the company’s management caused “losses to budgets of Belarus and Russia measured in hundreds of millions of USD”. It adds that “under international and Belarusian criminal law activities similar to this would be qualified as serious crimes”. Their activity brought about “large scale losses” for the Belarusian company Belaruskali.
The main state televsion channel justified the action against Uralkali officials, saying that “similar manipulations by modern Russian businesses are nothing new.” The top management of Uralkali still have warrants for their arrest at Interpol per Belarus’ request.
Reaction of Russians to the Uralkali affair. State TV journalists commented that the majority of Russians still have a critical attitude towards the oligarchs. It presented a few commentaries by Russian internet users. One of them suggested that “the thieves should be punished”, and “it’s high time to imprison the new “Khodorkovsky’s” in reference to the arrested manager of Uralkali.
Bitter-sweet taste of scandal with Uralkali. Belarusian television commented the recent affair with arrest of the Russian company management got the “milk-oil taste”. The media added that the analysts called it the economic sanctions and revenge for the scandalous arrest of the head of Russian company. It further explains that the Russian company “Transnieft” announced that would decrease oil supply to Belarus in a quarter. “The official explanation – repair of the old pipes and alleged environmentalist concerns – sound not convincing, the television added. According to these experts, revengeful reaction of the Russian elites would worsen the relations not only between both countries, but also with the key Western European partners.
How to combat the African flu and deal with the people. Belarusians are complaining to Lukashenka’s administration about the way the officials are liquidating the nation’s pig population. The ruler criticised them for “a new problem – a negative reaction by our citizens to our actions, the actions of our veterinary service”. State TV pointed out that Lukashenka had already more than once called the officials to deal with people’s complaints. He instructed them on how to combat epidemics more efficiently and with a better attitude towards people. The television emphasised that the flu does not affect people, but is a danger to the economy – and as a result, the state could export less.
Belarusian state television noted how and when the virus appeared in Belarus. At the same time, the media said that, “the expansion of the African flu is a world problem. It is difficult to find a country that has not gone through it”. Lukashenka also discussed the most recent cases of the flu appearing in Russia. In his words, “It concerns me that the African flu, unfortunately, is spreading to Russia (…) We cannot be isolated from the whole world, even so more from Russia, thus here we should undertake the necessary measures”. One of them might be refraining from selling animal feed out of Belarus.
International Affairs
Events in Syria and the international context. Journalists noted that “Geneva-2”, a peace conference on the situation in Syria, that is to be attended by the heads of the US and Russia was being postponed. State television noted that the Obama administration did not plan to back out from the very idea of an international conference in Hague. On another occasion, the media reported that Russia disapproved of Washington’s position. It explained that Moscow remained convinced that the use of chemical weapons was a provocation done by the insurgents’.
Ukraine’s independence anniversary. On 24 August Ukraine celebrated the 22nd anniversary of its independence. TV reported Lukashenka’s greeting to Victor Yanukovich: “intensive dialogue on all levels appears to be an important component in the development of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations.” In his words, the basis of mutual relations of both countries remained, “a positive historical memory, spiritual memory”.
Sri Lanka – Belarus Relations. For the first time in history the head of Sri Lanka visited Belarus. Journalists commented that the country could help Belarus to have more of a presence in the regional market. They added that in 2012, trade reached more than 46m USD. The media said, “we buy tea, knitted fabric and we sell them potash fertilizers”. They continued on and stated that the cooperation has even more potential. State TV also commented that “Businesses of Sri Lanka are ready to invest in Belarus”.
Lukashenka, during his meeting with Mahinda Rajapakse, found a few similarities between both countries. In his words, “you are absolutely a peace loving country” and “you are an opponent of any conflicts”. As for the economy, he said “you are developing socially-oriented economy”. Finally, Lukashenka added that “you have given to your nation not only hope, but today even a guarantee of a peaceful and tranquil life”.
Other
Positive attitudes of Russians and Belarusians. Belarusian state television reported that according to a sociological survey conducted by the Russian newspaper “Vzgliad”, over 60% of ordinary Russians expressed their support for Belarus. The majority of Belarusians also consider Russia brotherly. The only thing Belarusians did not accept was the way that the nouveau riche Russians behaved, the news noted.
Minsk and Astana tighten their relations. The main state TV channel reported that representatives from Astana and Minsk discussed the construction of Belarusian diary and meat factories in Kazakhstan. They also considered a prospective industrial-technological centre in Kazakhstan, as well as some joint projects on infrastructure building.
Belarus Digest prepared this overview on the basis of materials available on the web site of Belarusian State Television 1 (BT1). Freedom of the press in Belarus remains restricted and state media convey primarily the point of view of the Belarusian authorities. This review attempts to give the English-speaking audience a better understanding of how Belarusian state media shape public opinion in the country.
Paula Borowska is currently completing a PhD on religion and social capital at University College London. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Research and Studies on Eastern Europe from the University of Bologna.