Since early 1990s, the Belarusian government actively has been establishing diplomatic, military, and economic relationships with foreign countries. Interestingly, although Belarus is located in the heart of Europe, it has shown special attention to African and Middle Eastern countries. Specifically, the Belarusian government has focused development of its diplomatic, military, and economic efforts on Iraq, [...]

The Model I, II, and III are different in type of questions they pose, perspectives, approaches and possible outcomes. However different though, together they provide a fuller picture because upon a closer look they could be logically linked together. Model I shows that Belarus is strategically positioned to take advantage of its status as a [...]

Model III questions: Model III looks and analyzes individuals and attempts to predict outcomes or possible course of action based on this analysis. a) Whose opinion and views really count in making a particular economic or political decision? Considering that incumbent Belarusian President remains in power for 14 years (as of 2008), it should be [...]

Model II questions: While Model I focuses more on a broader picture, Model II attempts to look at organizational traits that shape and produce opinions, perceptions and courses of action. a) What organization/factor plays the biggest role in Belarus? It appears to be the Soviet Union. Certainly Soviet Union does not exist, yet its legacy [...]

In an attempt to create a complete picture with circumstances, factors and motives that underline Belarus’ energy policies and create grounds for future developments, this discussion will adopt and follow three conceptual models and corresponding questions presented and developed by Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow (1999) in their book “Essence of Decision. Explaining the Cuban [...]

Being Anchored by the Image of Soviet Success In the atmosphere of general chaos that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and suffering from distorted trade links and unsecured currency, the image of Belarus as one of the most stable and successful republic saw a blowing crash. Unable to get public support for painful [...]

President Lukashenka’s visit to Baku stirred some controversy: He attended an official reception with his 6 year old son Kolya. While it is not the first time when Mr. Lukashenka  takes his youngest son on official trips, many increasingly asking: ” When is enough, enough?”

1990′s: Where Do You Go From Here? In 1991 Russia, Ukraine and Belarus signed a document that effectively dissolved the Soviet Union and paved the way for its former members towards full independence. On the eve of such grandiose historical event Belarus was rather a successful republic with very high living standards compared to most [...]

20th Century: From the Most Backward to the Most Perfect Soviet’ Republic In all probability, had the recent energy crisis and underlying it geopolitical factors happened in the mid 20th century, Belarus would not be impacted all that much by it. Because of the above-mentioned historical transformations, before the Russian revolution as well as in [...]

Geographical Position: Blessing or Curse? It can be said that Belarus is equally blessed and cursed by its geographical location. On one hand, it is positioned between Russian Federation and the Western Europe and can potentially serve as a window of opportunity because Belarus is the direct and closest bridge for Russian energy exports into [...]