| Russian companies are investing in Belarusian elections On the eve of the presidential elections in Belarus, which will take place in two weeks, large Russian companies have noticeably intensified their contacts with the leadership of the union country. Russian tycoons appear to be seeking economic benefits in exchange for political and financial support for Alexander Lukashenko, who is seeking re-election.
Yesterday in Minsk they received Vagit Alekperov, who promised to expand the presence of LUKOIL in Belarus after the elections. Mr. Alekperov clearly outlined the sphere of interests of his company: LUKOIL is ready to participate in the modernization and marketing of products of the Belarusian enterprises Naftan and Polymir. LUKOIL, Alekperov said, is ready to invest up to $1 billion in the Belarusian economy.
The largest Russian oil company has been showing interest in Naftan, one of two oil refineries in Belarus, for several years. But the Belarusian side has so far refused to privatize the plant. LUKOIL does not insist on privatization, offering the creation of a joint venture as one of the options for cooperation.
LUKOIL is not alone in its interest in Belarusian enterprises. On Monday, Vasily Leonov, head of the election campaign of the single candidate from the Belarusian opposition, Vladimir Goncharik, released a recording of a conversation between Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Leonid Kozik, head of Russian Aluminum Oleg Deripaska, director of the Minsk Automobile Plant Mikhail Gurinovich and Yaroslavl Governor Leonid Lisitsyn.
If you believe the recording presented, the Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister reported to Mr. Deripaska on measures to transfer control over the Belarusian automobile plant to the Russian company. Leonid Kozik expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the Russian side does not fulfill its obligations to finance the election campaign of Alexander Lukashenko. The conversation allegedly took place in May. Since then, according to information from Goncharik’s headquarters, the Belarusian president has received the promised money.
The president of Slavneft, Mikhail Gutseriev, and the head of the gas company Itera, Igor Makarov, do not hide their political preferences. Over the past few months, they have visited Minsk many times. Itera is interested in the corporatization of the Azot State Production Association, projects to organize joint production with the Minsk Keramin plant and the reconstruction of the Berezovskaya State District Power Plant. And Mikhail Gutseriev completely became his own man in Minsk. Slavneft provided free assistance in harvesting and sowing in Belarus.
Slavneft is also interested in Polymir and Azot. These petrochemical enterprises are included in the list of assets that Belarus can contribute to the authorized capital of the Slavyansk Oil Company being created jointly with Slavneft. “We are interested in supplying raw materials to Polymir. If LUKOIL also carries out such supplies, Belarus will only be better off,” they say at Slavneft.
The largest Russian petrochemical concern SIBUR also appeared in Belarus. Last year, the creation of the Belneftekhim-SIBUR joint venture was announced. The joint venture should become an intermediary between Belneftekhim and SIBUR itself for the supply of raw materials to the Mogilev Khimvolokno. In a similar way, SIBUR is establishing cooperation with the Novopolotsk enterprises Naftan and Polimir.
Earlier it was said that this company, having participated in the modernization of Naftan and Polymir, would receive the rights to sell their products. In exchange, SIBUR was supposed to participate in financing the Belarusian elections. However, judging by what Vagit Alekperov is now talking about working with Naftan and Polymir, it can be assumed that SIBUR has not fulfilled its obligations.
As former Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Leonid Sinitsin admitted, Lukashenko paid for political support during the 1996 referendum with the “Oryol group” under the leadership of the head of the Russian Federation Council and the governor of the Oryol region Yegor Stroev with control over the Belarusian Metallurgical Plant. Then they tried to get rid of this control. The director of the plant, Yuri Feoktistov, was even arrested for several months. However, in February of this year the case against Feoktistov was dropped. At the plant everything returned to its previous state.
A couple of weeks ago, the head of the Federation Council, Yegor Stroev, made a long speech in support of Alexander Lukashenko on Belarusian television. Tomorrow Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov plans to do the same. AFK Sistema, headed by Vladimir Yevtushenkov, who is close to Luzhkov, will apparently be declared the winner of the tender for the right to become the second mobile operator in Belarus. Yuri ANDREEV, Minsk |
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