Minsk Forum: General muster of dialogue lobbyists

This Minsk Forum happens for the 12th time. Thisd year, like last year, the meeting is to be opened by the Presidential administration head, Uladzimir Makej, and German Ambassador Gebhard Weiss.

In 1997 civil society representatives, experts from Belarus, Germany and other European countries gathered in the Belarusian capital for the first time with a simple aim: to build a dialogue. The aim remains as relevant as before, but emphasis is changed.

The topic of 12th Minsk Forum which is to take place on November 4-6 is “Belarus and Eastern Partnership: prospects of development in spheres of politics, economy and society”. The work is to be done in three working groups: external policy, economy, interaction of the state and society.

No doubt it is a relevant topic, though over the recent months conferences on the new policy of the EU are held on Minsk almost every second day. Meanwhile, Minsk Forum has much more possibilities, and the level of participating structures has grown considerably.

Minsk Forum means several dialogues at once: a dialogue between Belarus and Germany, Belarus and the EU, and the last one, but not less important is the dialogue between the civil society and the Belarusian authorities.

The interest to the forum from NGOs and independent experts of Belarus is steadily high. With enlargement of the EU the interest of European structures has grown as well. In 2006 a representative of the European Commission publicized 12 recommendations and the new strategy of the EU towards Belarus at the forum a week before they were announced officially. However, this year Brussels is to follow the meeting fro the distance.

For their part, the Belarusian authorities have always been closely following the work of Minsk Forum. From year to year the level of participants from official structures changed. Depending on the situation with the relations with the EU representatives of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus, or deputy head of the foreign ministry, deputies or speaker himself were sent to the forum, and their activeness changed as well.

This year, like the previous year, the meeting is to be opened by the head of the presidential administration Uladzimir Makej and German Ambassador Gebhard Weiss. But now their participation in the discussion is not planned. It is obvious that the head of the administration had enough communication with recent political prisoners, opposition activists and entrepreneurs’ movement activists last year, when they came near the microphone and asked personal questions. Makej will obviously confine himself to a short greeting.

Most active participants of the forum were and are German deputies and experts on Belarus. Germans always used a chance of behind-the-scenes talks with Belarusian colleagues and officials. Each has own aim: parliamentarians persuaded of importance of European values, third sector was looking for new ways of cooperation, and German businessmen were lobbying their interests.

By the way, about lobbying. Reiner Lindner, founder and irreplaceable chairman of Minsk Forum, head of German-Belarusian society, chief executive officer of the Eastern Committee of German economy for almost a year. This committee unites industry associations of German business and has more than 100 active member companies. The structure acts as an intermediary between businessmen and politicians of Germany and Central and South Eastern European countries. In essence, it lobbies their interests, promoting development of economic ties. Among the services of the Committee are coordinating the dialogue with administrative agencies and organising conferences and seminars with high-ranking officials.

It could be supposed that 12th Minsk Forum would lay an emphasis on the economic section and possible economic projects of the Eastern Partnership. Earlier in the framework of the forum well-known German politicians appeared, and this time Klaus Mangold, chaiurman of the Eastern Committee of German economy would deliver a speech.

Pragmatism of Germans could be understood: after so many years of official rhetoric on readiness for the dialogue and mutually beneficial relations with Europe, now after the thaw in the relations of Minsk and Brussels, there are at last real instruments both for a dialogue and development of relations.

However one shouldn’t forget that participants of the forum can just denote main tendencies of the dialogue, but not influence its course. So such conferences are important not only as a public event. After making statements, officials, economists, diplomats, experts and politicians can talk and look for understanding behind the scenes.

At the same time, returning to establishing internal dialogue and mutual understanding in Belarus, the possibility of such discussions with totally unexpected composition cannot be overestimated. Thus, this year the youth politics in Belarus would be discussed by a journalist of independent newspaper “Nasha Niva”, a curator of an independent youth web-portal in Belarusian, a German journalist and representatives of Minsk city executive committee, the Belarusian Youth Union and Andrei Kim, an activist and blogger, a former political prisoner. To see all of them at one table is possible only at Minsk Forum.

Two weeks before the meeting of European ministers who are to discuss the fate of sanctions against Belarusian officials, 12th Minsk Forum is unlikely to bring great surprises.

It is more likely to become a platform for those who want to express their point of view or find partners. Anyway, backstage agreements are to remain in private, and it is still hard to speak about concrete plans in the framework of the Eastern Partnership still, as this policy hasn’t been made flesh yet.