Continued from “Iran: Belarus’s Biggest Friend”
Belarus has shown its willingness to cooperate with Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Venezuela, just to name a few. Not surprisingly, Belarus has been mentioned by U.S. officials as a country with flagrant human rights violations, a lack of democratic institutions, and suspicious business transactions.
In the mid-1990s, UN inspection teams reported that machine tools sold by Belarus to Iraq were capable of turning out components for missiles. Another UN inspection found machinery believed to be used to make lenses for artillery shells. In July 2001, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus released a statement denying allegations that Belarus sold radars and modernized air defense and communications systems to Iraq. In the same year, arms experts called Belarus “the most secretive country in the business of arms sales,” while the Russian NTV channel publicly reported that President Lukashenka re-sells or serves as an intermediary between Russian arms exporters and countries suspected of sponsoring terrorism.

Recently, there was another article on this subject published by “Novaya Gazetta.”

In 2002, Jane’s Intelligence Digest reported Belarus secretly supplied arms to Chechen rebels through Georgia and Turkey. In November 2003, the U.S. ambassador in Belarus, Michael Kozak, stated that Belarus not only supplied arms to Iraq but also trained Iraqi military personnel to use air-defense systems. In June 2003, Lebanese customs officials stopped a military cargo shipment that was thought to have been shipped from Belarus with a destination of Iraq.
It is important to note that unlike Ukraine, which acknowledged sale of arms to China and Iran, Belarus has not admitted participation in illegal arms transfers.

Not surprising since Alexander Lukashenka is trying to balance his position between Russia and Western Europe.

However, an analysis of diplomatic contacts, business transactions and media reports indicates a very strong possibility that Belarus uses its contacts with African and Middle Eastern countries to secretly sell or transport arms.
First, as a Soviet republic, Belarus was known for its industrial plants and technical capabilities. It is a well-known fact that the Minsk Factory of Wheeled Tractors is more than capable of making military machines and tools. Notable is the fact that this factory was mentioned as a possible supplier of tractors to Iraq, Iran, and Sudan.

Belarus has a reputation as a manufacturer of high-end military optical products, including optic scopes for AK-47s and Dragunov sniper rifles. In 2009, according to the official statistics, Belarus sold to Venezuela 2,141 “binoculars, monoculars and other optical instruments” with an estimated value of $8 million. For comparison, export of similar items to the United States was estimated to be around $1.9 million. Furthermore, Belarusian military analyst Alexander Alesin thinks that Western experts badly underestimate Belarusian arms exports because Belarus switched from the export of conventional weapons such as tanks and jet fighters to high-tech and dual-use (concealed) military equipment and tools.

Sure, it could be that Venezuela needs thousands of what was described only as “optical products.” It is just the numbers look extremely high compared to similar exports to other countries (not to mention that there are not many exports of that kind.)

Secondly, Belarus has been actively seeking partnerships with countries providing offshore financial services or implicated in lax anti-money laundering practices. For example, in November 2003, President Lukashenka signed a decree establishing diplomatic relations between Republic of Botswana and the Republic of Vanuatu. Incidentally, Vanuatu was known as a “tax heaven” that until 2008 did not release account information to other governments or law-enforcement agencies. In 2008, Abu Dhabi-based Al Maabar International Investments announced that it considered real estate investments in Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Qatar, Belarus and Jordan. In 2009–2010, Belarusian authorities agreed to register two Iranian banks, “Onerbank” and “Trading Capital Bank.”

Private banks in the country with what is basically centrally planned economy?

Third, Belarus was mentioned by media and industry experts as a middleman between Russia and potential arms buyers. In 2007, Ivan Safronov, a journalist working for the Russian newspaper Kommersant, visited Abu Dhabi to provide news coverage of IDEX 2007, the largest arms exhibitions in the Middle East. Upon his return, he told his colleagues that he obtained information about possible sales of jet fighters and anti-aircraft systems by Russia to Iran and Syria. According to Safronov, Russia intended to use Belarus to cover up its own involvement in the potential deal. A couple days later, Ivan Safronov committed suicide.

Recently, charter97.org published an article where these allegations are brought up again.

Combined, these factors might indicate that Belarus is an active and willing exporter of arms. Belarus has technical capabilities and financial incentives to participate in arms transfer with countries implicated in sponsoring terrorism. Most importantly, President Lukashenka has clearly demonstrated his willingness to deal with Iran, Syria and Sudan. His political record shows that he is unlikely to fully adopt democratic reforms and follow Western legal norms. At the same time, he expressed his desire to work with Western countries in exchange for certain concessions such as bank credits. Thus, it is possible that in order to balance between the Western and Eastern interests, Belarus’ business transactions with the anti-democratic regimes will get even more secretive in the future.

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