Belarus - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 39

Belarus and Kazakhstan Strengthen Military Cooperation

The Defense Ministries of Belarus and Kazakhstan have made strides to deepen their military cooperation. This was confirmed during an official visit to Kazakhstan by the Chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces and First Deputy Defense Minister, Pavel Muraveiko. Muraveiko held negotiations with Kazakhstan's Defense Minister, Ruslan Zhaksylykov, and Lieutenant General Sultan Kamaletdinov, First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of Kazakhstan's Armed Forces. The discussions focused on the current state of military collaboration, with both sides identifying paths to increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Both Belarusian and Kazakhstani representatives reaffirmed their dedication to strengthening relations and noted the momentum of their defense sector cooperation. Significant emphasis was placed on exploring mutually beneficial projects and enhancing military capabilities via the exchange of knowledge. Muraveiko's visit also included a tour of key military institutions in Kazakhstan, namely the National Defense University and the Center for Military-Strategic Research. The visit follows a major diplomatic spat in August 2024, when Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Belarusian Ambassador following critical comments made by the Belarusian President. Lukashenko's remarks on Kazakhstan’s reliance on Russia for support, alongside perceived criticism of its foreign policy, sparked a rebuke from Kazakhstan, which emphasized its balanced, peaceful approach and adherence to international norms. The incident reflected broader post-Soviet frictions, with both nations historically sharing close ties through regional bodies like the EAEU and CIS. Further complicating matters, Lukashenko's comments at the time also antagonized Armenia, leading to protests at the Belarusian Embassy in Yerevan, and underscoring regional discord.

Belarus investigation Illegal migration

Turkmen Nationals in Belarus Investigated Over Alleged Migration Scheme

Belarusian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into an alleged illegal migration network that reportedly involved hundreds of Turkmen citizens residing in the country, according to a report by state news agency BELTA. The investigation centers on a scheme allegedly orchestrated by three taxi company owners in Minsk. Since 2022, four companies officially registered as taxi service providers were involved in operations that enabled foreign nationals, primarily from Turkmenistan, to obtain temporary residence permits using falsified documents. The business owners, aged between 30 and 38, are accused of hiring foreign nationals on paper to facilitate their acquisition of legal status. Investigators say the suspects collaborated with three intermediaries, themselves undocumented migrants, who advertised the scheme in online chat groups. These groups promised an easy path to legal residency, bypassing official procedures and bureaucracy. According to law enforcement, the operation offered two main methods for obtaining documents. The first involved issuing fake job invitations that prospective migrants could use at Belarusian embassies in Turkmenistan when applying for a visa. The second relied on falsified employment contracts, which migrants then submitted to local migration offices to obtain legal residence. The scheme came to light following coordinated searches at the suspects’ homes and company offices. Authorities seized computers, documents, and other evidence now under review. The suspects, who have been taken into custody, are cooperating with investigators and have reportedly admitted to charging $150 per visa, along with monthly payments from clients seeking to remain in Belarus. The investigation remains ongoing. Belarusian authorities are currently verifying the legal status of all foreign nationals who utilized the services of the implicated companies.

Uzbekistan Airways Reroutes Flights to Europe, Avoiding Russia and Belarus

Uzbekistan Airways has altered its flight routes to Europe, bypassing Russian and Belarusian airspace. The airline’s chairman, Shukhrat Khudoykulov, announced the decision at a press conference on January 28, according to local media reports. Flights are now taking a more southern route through Azerbaijan and Turkey. The change took effect on January 20, 2025. Reason for the Rerouting The airline’s press service told Kun.uz that the decision was made based on a recommendation from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and was not related to the recent Azerbaijan Airlines crash. “This is a recommendation from the European Aviation Safety Agency since we also serve European passengers,” the airline’s statement said. The change comes in the wake of the Azerbaijan Airlines crash on December 25, 2024. The aircraft, which was flying from Baku to the Russian city of Grozny, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan. Of the 67 people on board, 38 died, while 29 survived. Initial reports suggested that a Russian air defense system may have mistakenly shot down the plane during a Ukrainian drone attack on Grozny. A missile reportedly exploded near the aircraft, damaging its fuselage. Kazakhstan, which initially led the investigation, has transferred the case to Brazil’s aviation safety agency (CENIPA). The findings have been sent back to Kazakhstan and are expected to be released soon. Impact on Flight Times and Costs In response to Repost.uz, Uzbekistan Airways clarified that the change was made as a precautionary measure and also to helps optimize flight routes. The rerouting has increased travel distances. For example, the Tashkent-Munich flight, which previously covered 4,849 kilometers when flying through Russia, now spans 5,156 kilometers. This adds 30 to 40 minutes to flight times and raises operational costs for the airline.

Nazarbayev Agrees to Meet Belarusian President Lukashenko

Former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has agreed to meet with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to a statement released by the Belarusian leader’s press service. “Today, there was a very warm, friendly conversation between the President of Belarus and the First President of Kazakhstan. Nursultan Nazarbayev cordially congratulated Alexander Lukashenko on his election victory and conveyed his sincere congratulations and greetings to the Belarusian people. Alexander Lukashenko also warmly thanked Nursultan Nazarbayev for his kind words and wishes. The Belarusian leader and the First President of Kazakhstan agreed to find an opportunity to meet and talk in the near future,” the statement read. The meeting is part of a series of diplomatic engagements Nazarbayev has undertaken recently. In December 2024, he held a high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence. That visit sparked considerable public attention in Kazakhstan, with some parliamentarians expressing concern. Mazhilis Deputy Samat Nurtaza stated that such meetings cause him “internal anxiety.” Meanwhile, Deputy Yermurat Bapi suggested that Nazarbayev’s visit to Russia might be linked to the “Kazakhgate-2” case currently under review in the United States. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, has faced significant international criticism following his re-election on January 26, a process widely dismissed in the West as neither free nor fair. While the Belarusian Central Election Commission reported that Lukashenko secured 87.6% of the vote, the European Union and other international organizations denounced the results as “fictitious” and criticized the election for failing to meet democratic standards. Despite the controversy, Lukashenko has received congratulations from various world leaders, including Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who reportedly congratulated Lukashenko during a phone call. According to the state-run BelTA news agency, the election was monitored by 486 international observers from 52 countries, as well as over 44,000 national representatives. However, independent observers and western governments have cast doubt on the credibility of these reports. The forthcoming Nazarbayev-Lukashenko meeting is expected to further discussions on regional and bilateral issues, though no specific details have been released.

Belarus Bilateral Relations

Lukashenko Turns Up Charm After Kazakhstan Kerfuffle

In August, Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko drew a Kazakh rebuke after he criticized Kazakhstan for what he described as its tepid support for Russia. Lukashenko was a model of diplomatic etiquette on Tuesday, effusively praising Kazakhstan as a close ally during a ceremony at which he received credentials of foreign ambassadors. “Today there are practically no areas where we do not have common interests. Annual $1 billion trade turnover and successful projects in industrial interaction testify to the high dynamics of bilateral cooperation,” the longtime Belarusian ruler said of Kazakhstan. Lukashenko´s comments were reported by Belarus Today, a state-run media group. The Belarusian president also thanked Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for supporting Belarus when it became a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional security group, earlier this year, according to Belarus Today. Kazakhstan was chair of the organization at the time. Things weren’t as convivial in August when Lukashenko, a backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggested in an interview with Russian state television that Kazakhstan was exploiting Russia, now in a third year of war since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “We are not starting to cheat like some post-Soviet states. They want to take something from Russia, but give nothing in return,” Lukashenko said at the time. The longtime leader of Belarus, who has crushed opposition over 30 years in power, referred to the dispatch of troops from regional countries to Kazakhstan in a show of support after protests and riots erupted there in January 2022, killing more than 200 people. Most of the troops were Russian; a small contingent came from Belarus. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Belarusian ambassador after Lukashenko’s remarks and said, in an apparently oblique reference to the Ukraine war, that “all disagreements between states should be resolved by political and diplomatic means.” Kazakhstan’s new ambassador in Belarus is Yerlan Baizhanov, formerly the country’s top diplomat in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

The Illusion of Influence: The CSTO’s Journey From Symbolic Maneuvers To Real Challenges

Accompanied by a picture of military hardware - though in reverse gear as if symbolically - today, the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) website announced that “From 26 to 30 September, formations participating in the command-staff exercise 'Unbreakable Brotherhood-2024' with the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces are regrouping in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Contingents of CSTO troops are being sent from the Republic of Belarus, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Tajikistan to the exercise area in accordance with the plan.” In reality, the history of the CSTO is one of refusals, inaction, and sometimes unexpected successes. On August 31, Armenia announced it had frozen its participation in the CSTO. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he would not name the day when Armenia would leave the CSTO and called the decision to freeze the republic's participation in all structures of the organization correct “at this stage.” In many ways, this half-hearted decision reflects a certain amorphousness that originally characterized the CSTO. History The history of the structure's emergence reflects this lack of crystalline form. The Collective Security Treaty (CST) was signed in Tashkent between Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on May 15, 1992. Azerbaijan, Belarus and Georgia later joined in 1993. The treaty came into effect in 1994 and was set to last five years. During the 1990s and the disintegration of Soviet-era institutions, organizations such as the CSTO or the previously created Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), whose founding protocol was signed in Almaty, were created to facilitate a smooth “divorce” between the newly independent states. The CSTO was also seen as a force capable of curbing the regional conflicts which were boiling over, such as the Mujaheddin in Afghanistan. Tashkent's bet on Russian weapons in case of conflicts with the Taliban did not work out, however. From the turn of the 1990s into the 2000s, two serious fissures across the borders of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan took place; the republics fought back with their own military and weapons, in addition to Kazakhstan coming to the rescue. The Collective Security Treaty expired in 1999, with Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia withdrawing, whilst Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan soldiered on under a new pact. The remaining states later transformed the CST into the Collective Security Treaty Organization in 2002. Uzbekistan joined as a full member of the CSTO in 2006 but then flip-flopped and suspended its membership in 2012. A powerless organization While the CSTO was still developing, with President Vladimir Putin coming to power in Russia, the Kremlin's foreign policy changed substantively from that of the Yeltsin era, when Moscow remained indifferent to Nursultan Nazarbayev's integration initiatives. The new direction of Russian foreign policy was expressed in the concepts of “Russia rising from its knees” and the "gathering of lands.” Over time, this evolved into joint war games and military operations with the West in the Middle East and Africa, and for a period the Kremlin seemed to lose interest in Central Asia....