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Minsk is Looking for New Friends, To Replace the Ones It Lost
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Last Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu visited Belarus. According to Belarusian officials and media the minister came just to sign visa abolition and readmission agreements. The Turkish Foreign Ministry added that ministers had, "exchanged views on regional issues...
4 April 2013
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KaliLaska, Minsk Branding, Green Initiatives – Civil Society Digest

Belarus remains the last country in Europe which keeps capital punishment. Activists of campaign “Possessed. Against the Death Penalty” produced a clip and explained why it should be changed. Apart from "green" events, Belarusian activists launched social campaigns including...

3 April 2013
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Young Belarusians Choose Professions with Poor Employment Prospects

Belarusian State University organised an open house at the end of March. Many future secondary graduates had their first impressions of the most prestigious university in the country. However, it would be more useful for them to know about...

2 April 2013
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Barricade Journalism in Belarus

The Belarusian media more and more look like barricade journalism. The state media fiercely fight their non-state colleagues and vice versa. Endless clichés, mutual accusations and the language of hatred often leave little space for decent journalism.  The lack of...

1 April 2013
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The Secret Dealings of Berezovsky and Lukashenka

The unexpected death of Boris Berezovsky has moved his relations with the Belarusian authorities into the spotlight. Over the past 15 years Boris Berezovsky regularly appeared in Belarusian politics. Analysts are even discussing a possible friendship between Boris Berezovsky...

29 March 2013
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Belarus Wants to Keep Its Western Border Locked Shut

Last week a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Belarus was not ready to implement an agreement on local border traffic with Poland. The reason given was ‘the anti-Belarusian position of the Polish government'. Although both sides...

28 March 2013
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Construction Boom in Minsk: Happy Businessmen and Unhappy Public

On 13 March, Belarus hosted a high level guest – Serbian president Tomislav Nikolić. Nikolić and Serbian businessman Dragomir Karić symbolically launched a new construction project near national library. Today Serbian company Astra Investment is one of the largest investors in...

27 March 2013
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Lukashenka Tours South-East Asia

On 22 March Belarus state leader completed his visit to Singapore where he was trying to find new markets. He spent a week in Indonesia and Singapore, together with a delegation of 80 people. The state of the Belarusian economy is deteriorating,...

26 March 2013
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Human Capital: Leave Cannot Stay – Digest of Belarus Analytics

Belarusian experts discuss migration, philosophy of barricades and coexistence, urban development and the readiness of the official Minsk to start another cycle of the Belarusian-European relations among other issues.  Human Capital: Leave Cannot Stay – BISS paper examines migration and immigration attitudes...

25 March 2013
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Belarusian Constitution: An Obituary on Democracy

On 15 March 2013 Alexander Lukashenka congratulated Belarusians on the Constitution Day. Since this document entered into force in 1994 it has suffered two substantial revisions, each of which emphasised the further decline into an authoritarian abyss. Nowadays the Belarusian Constitution...

22 March 2013
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Economy Recuperates but Slower than Forcasted – Digest of Belarusian Economy

While economic growth seems to be recuperating in January and February, it remains below the wishful forecasts of the government. At the same time, the situation with current account balance continues to be the pressing matter, as the government is...

21 March 2013
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Why Belarus Needs To Reform Its Bureaucracy

Belarus is awaiting reforms to the public administration system, ordered by Alexander Lukashenka last year. It looks like the president’s main motive is to save money. Considerations of efficiency come second. However, the existing system of public administration cannot...

20 March 2013
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Lukashenka: Enough Babbling about Privatization

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkadiy Dvorkovich visited Minsk on an official visit in February. A number of experts believe that in the near future, Lukashenka's regime will make important concessions to Russia and sell major enterprises to Russian companies...

19 March 2013
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Quo Vadis Belarusians? – Belarus Civil Society Digest

The snow storm “Xavier” did not discourage Belarusian civil society from new projects and initiatives. BISS recently discussed migration and Liberal Club “diagnosed” Belarus at roundtables in Minsk. The DisRight Office launched a new phase of an accessibility campaign. The Festival...

17 March 2013
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Snow Storm Xavier Paralyses Belarus

Large parts of Belarus and the Belarusian capital Minsk have spent this weekend under exceptional circumstances. The cyclone Javier has paralysed large parts of the country for almost two days. While similar weather conditions in the USA would make it...