The Way Serbs Made Lukashenka Cry

What is the peculiarity of Belarus’s relations with this Balkan country.

On December 2-3, Aliaksandr Lukashenka will pay an official visit to Serbia. According to his press-center, in Belgrade he will hold talks with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vučić.

A Belarussian-Serbian business forum will be held in Belgrade these days, at which signing of commercial contracts and agreements is expected.

Solidarity has collected curious facts about the Belarusian-Serbian relations.

The Euro Games scandal: “Lukashenka almost cried”

I must say that Lukashenka has rather atypical relations with this European state. Perhaps Lukashenka doesn’t show such devoted love to any other country in the Western world. And the Serbian leadership reciprocates.

The last time Lukashenka and the President of Serbia met in June this year. Then Aleksandar Vučić flew to Minsk to attend the II European Games. True, this visit was accompanied by a scandal. The Serbian guest did not attend the opening ceremony, as it was attended by the President of Kosovo. And no matter how Lukashenka was pleading, Vučić remained adamant.

“It was very difficult for me to tell the host, Lukashenka, that I would not come to the ceremony, because I know how much he did for this,” Vučić told the Serbian news agency. “On the one hand, he placed Medvedev next to him, and on the other, he wanted to put me. It is an honor. He said that he would not go to the stadium without me. It was hard for me to see how this strong man nearly cried when I said that I could not be there.

According to Aleksandar Vučić, Lukashenka was honest and correct. This was reflected in the fact that in those places that were not visited by the inspection of the International Olympic Committee, there was no Kosovo flag, and the president of this state, which was not recognized by Serbia, Hashim Tachi, was not put into a box for VIP guests.

“They took care of us, and I'm sorry that I disappointed the Belarusian host, but I had no other choice,” said the Serbian leader.

Only business and a little personal

Due to some incredible coincidence, the “independent Serbian observer” in the so-called elections in Belarus Dragomir Karić turned out to be one of the co-owners of a company that has led a successful business in Belarus for many years.

By the decrees of Lukashenka, the owners of the Serbian company Dana Holdings received several plots of land for development in Minsk, including in the Kastrychnitskaya Square. An investigation was dedicated to their business on the Belsat television channel, which, in particular, states the following:

- Housing prices in Minsk are artificially overstated by tens of percent. This money does not go to the budget, but to the schemes with signs of corruption leading to the very top of the government.

As Ejednevnik previously reported, the net profit of Belarusian companies of the Astra Group holding, controlled by Serbian millionaires Dragomir and Bogoljub Karić, exceeded $ 50 million last year (this is one of the most profitable companies in Belarus).

Serbian friends of Lukashenka feel so confident in our country that they began to mark the territory with their own family coat of arms.

Over the entire period of activity in Belarus, by the efforts of Dana Holdings, by 2019, more than a million square meters were built and sold. One of the largest Dana Mall shopping centers in the country and the Dana Center business center were commissioned.

Currently, the holding companies are building the Minsk Mir residential district in the area of the former Minsk airport, as well as the Vogue and Park Chaliuskintsau residential complexes. In total, 7 organizations with participation of Serbian capital are registered in Belarus.

Working for the “family”

The family also got a little. Obviously, as a gratitude for the tidbits of land in the capital, the construction company Dana Holdings became the general sponsor of the National Olympic Committee (NOC), which since April has been headed by Viktar Lukashenka, father’s national security assistant who oversees the entire power block.

By the way, Viktar’s wife Lilia Lukashenka has been working as the director of the Art Chaos gallery for several years. Also by chance, this gallery is located in the Dana Mall and is one of the main philanthropic projects of the company, controlled by the Karić brothers.

The deputy of the Serbian parliament Milanka Karić, who is also the wife of one of the brothers, Bogoljub Karić, even came to one of the exhibitions.

A recreation place

However, why are we talking only about work? Serbia was always ready to open its resorts to Lukashenka and his family. Back in 2009, Aliaksandr Lukashenka came to rest at the Kopaonik ski resort.

As the Worba publication wrote, it was Dragomir Karić who met Lukashenka at the airport. From there, the guests headed to the Grand Hotel. According to the publication, Lukashenka spent two nights in a row until late at night with Karić and a large company in a club where speeches were given in honor of Serbia, Russia and Slobodan Milošević.

At the Grand Hotel, they said that together with Lukashenka there were “his children with families”.

And in 2015, the Serbian media reported the arrival of Viktar Lukashenka, who “again arrived in Kopaonik with the guards.” It was planned that his father might join him, but this did not happen, reported the publication.

However, Lukashenka visited Serbia shortly before. In June 2014, he paid a visit to Belgrade. As could be judged by television reports, at that time Dragomir Karić did not make a single step away from him.

And again, Serbia is hospitably ready to receive Lukashenka. Speaking with President Vučić in June this year, Lukashenka said:

- Serbia is not only a priority of our relations, it is a country close to us, it is a people close to us. You know what Serbia means for me personally.

And he seemed to be sincere.