Lukashenka met with Russian oligarchs too often

Only within last week Lukashenka has met with three oligarchs – two Russian ones (Igor Makarov and Vladimir Yevtushenkov) and a Chinese one (He Xiangjian). The personal meetings of Lukashenka with businessmen of such rank have never been so intensive since 2002, when he had to work off his another presidential term for the Russian businessmen.

Lukashenka had to struggle long and hard by fair means or foul in order not to give what he had promised. It was likely to have left the traces of negative attitude towards “bourgeoisies” in his class subconscious. That’s why the oligarchs were not welcomed in the president’s administration until recently, the exceptions were made only for specially reliable, and in the first turn, specially grateful persons, Ezhednevnik running.

But time has changed, and the economic situation in Belarus, Russia and the world has changed, too. Whatever prejudices are there in the administration, but volens-nolens the leadership has to establish contact with the big business. Firstly, to facilitate their political interests they had to search for additional financial, technological and raw sources.

Secondly, the authorities have to find the tools and also advisers and dealers for transformation (legalization) the cumulated during the period of wild state capitalism facilities into public private business. Moreover, the transformation of high-quality is needed here, in order Washington or Brussels would have no questions. The selling deals on Motovelo and MDC can hardly be referred to transparent ones.

But whichever of these two aims was being pursued on the negotiations with individual business representatives, it is necessary to acknowledge the general trend: the number of contacts with big business on the level of the main person in Belarusian State has increased this year. According to the press-service, within 10 last months Lukashenka has already met with 10 businessmen officially (to compare: last year there were only five meetings at highest level, in 2005 – four).

In 2007 the representatives of banking world met with Lukashenka more often. They are Herbert Stepic, Chairman of the Managing Board of Raiffeisen Group (Austria), Mikhail Fridman Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Alfa Group (Russia), Andrei Kostin, Chairman of the Managing Board of the Vneshtorgbank and Wilco Jiskoot, Managing Board member of ABN Amro (the Netherlands). From the above-mentioned Raiffeisen Group has already had their business in Belarus, the Vneshtorgbank has started it this year.

Vladimir Yevtushenkov from Joint-Stock Financial Corporation Sistema (Russia), He Xiangjian from Midea Group (China) and Id Samavi from SB-Telecom (Cyprus) represent hi-tech. Moreover, Lukashenka has met with Samavi twice this year – in February and May.

Two more Russian businessmen, who have been doing their business in Belarus for a long time already, - Dmitry Rybolovlev (Uralkali) and Igor Makarov (ITERA Group) were honored the audiences with the president. D. Rybolovlev, having begun his visits to Belarus in 2005, has achieved great success here by uniting the Uralkali’s sale with Belaruskali, he also heads board of directors of the Belarusian Potash Company. Makarov, on the contrary, has lost almost all his assets in Belarus and is trying to come out in the role of another big developer.

Alexander Muravyev from Austrian group ATEK and Nikolay von Keler, the Polar Star Group CEO (Luxemburg) have the appointments with Lukashenka, too. It should be also noted that the commercial interests of Moscow’s mayor Yuri Luzhkov’s family have been proceeded in Minsk since this summer. Yet again blessed by Lukashenka.