Russia Monitor Monthly 7/23
Content
Day 58 – Tsikhanouskaya meets Merkel, the staggering scale of repressions
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, October 6. The former presidential candidate, currently an informal opposition leader in political exile, said that a new presidential election in Belarus needs to be organized in the near future.
WI Daily News – Poland and Britain held security round table
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Day 57 – Diplomatic clash with neighbors, Tsikhanouskaya about Putin, pensioners’ protest
On Monday, pensioners took to the streets of Minsk to protest against the official election results. Approximately 200 people attended the demonstration. When the protest was over and the participants were dispersing, the militia detained two people.
Preparations for the adoption of the 2021-2025 Five-Year Plan
The 2021-2025 Five-Year Plan and the Economic and Social Development Plan with its 2035 targets will be the focal points of the agenda of the fall plenary. In many respects, these decisions will be unique because China has not faced so many complex challenges since the beginning of its economic transition under the CCP.
WI Daily News – Polish and Swedish Prime Ministers discussed the situation in Belarus
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Day 56 – Continuous high turnout for the opposition marches
On Sunday, October 4, more than 240 people in total were detained during the protests, according to the information collected by the Viasna Human Rights Centre. The majority of them were arrested in Minsk, but also in Brest, Grodno, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Babruysk and Salihorsk.
Day 54 & 55 – Polish plan for Belarus approved by European Council | Belarus reciprocally sanctions EU
On Friday, Polish PM – Mateusz Morawiecki, announced that the European Council had approved the Polish “economic plan for a democratic Belarus”. He added that organisations such as International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank will hopefully be involved.
2020 United States presidential election – forecasts, campaign, controversies
On November 3, 2020, another presidential election will be held in the United States. The Americans will choose the next President of the United States for the upcoming four years.
WI Daily News – Polish, Ukrainian and Lithuanian defence ministers met in Lublin
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Day 53 – Merkel to meet Tikhanovskaya
Further to Macron’s meeting with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Angela Merkel said to German MPs on Wednesday that she looked forward to meeting Tikhanovskaya “soon”. Moreover, she praised Belarusian women on standing against the regime, saying that she found it “really impressive”. The legitimate president of Belarus will visit Berlin on 5 October.
WI Daily News – Polish Prime Minister presented plan for Belarus at the EU summit
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
WI Daily News – Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister on a visit in Poland
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
A Round Table Discussion on Belarus
A debate entitled “The Round Table on Belarus” organized by the Warsaw Institute Foundation and the editorial board of The Warsaw Institute Review quarterly, with the participation of the most important Polish think tanks, took place on September 30.
Russia Requests Money: Will Belarus Cut Off Transit Through Lithuanian Ports?
Alexander Lukashenko has said he would block Baltic countries from shipping goods to Russia over Belarusian territory, and divert what is now sent through notably ports in Lithuania to the seaports in Russia. Belarus will have to pay much more, also according to what Russia is saying.
New Spying Scandal Strains Ties Between Bulgaria and Russia
Bulgarian officials ordered to expel two Russian diplomats over spying allegations. This is as yet another spying scandal between Bulgaria and Russia this year. The two expelled Russians served for the military intelligence agency.
Russia’s Crude and Fuel Output Projected To Drop In Coming Years
Production of oil and gas condensate in Russia is projected at 507.4 million tons in 2020, a 9.5 percent decrease compared with 2019, according to the country’s report on social and economic development for 2021 and the planned period of 2022 and 2023 presented by the Economic Development Ministry.
China Plans to Build the First University Campus in Hungary
On December 16, 2019, the Minister for Innovation and Technology of Hungary – László Palkovics, and the rector of Fudan University – Xu Ningsheng, signed an agreement in Shanghai to establish the first foreign Fudan campus in Budapest. In mid-September 2020, there were also reports in the Hungarian media that the campus is to be completed by 2024 with a goal of educating 5-6 thousand students.
Why Putin Does Not Want To Annex Belarus
Regardless of what might be either illusionary or real plans of the Russian and Belarusian leaders to unify the two countries, polls found that the idea enjoys limited popularity, notably in Belarus. The Kremlin hopes to avoid the rise in anti-Russian moods in Belarus, thus being wary of some themes, though, of course, it backs Lukashenko’s regime.
WI Daily News – Military chiefs of staff of the V4 discussed cyber operations, training and epidemic
Daily dose of the most important news regarding Polish international cooperation, affairs & activity abroad.
Day 52 – Macron meets Tsikhanouskaya, further western sanctions, Russian intelligence chief warns
On Tuesday, September 29, Minsk hosted the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia. Due to coronavirus pandemic, the Russian delegation participated in it only remotely. The presidents of both countries spoke during the Forum. Alexander Lukashenko announced that Belarus is ready to talk to Russia about all proposals that strengthen economic security.
Warsaw Institute
