Konzern-Chef Baumgertner in Haft: Geisel im Kali-Krieg

Weißrusslands Regierungschef hat den Chef des Kali-Weltmarktführers Uralkali in eine Falle gelockt - jetzt sitzt der russische Top-Manager in einer Zelle des Geheimdienstes KGB. Der Grund ist ein Preiskampf, den der Uralkali-Chef angezettelt hat.

AP/ dpa

Uralkali-Chef Baumgertner im Dezember 2012: In der weißrussischen Falle

Der Weißrusse Michail Mjasnikowitsch, ein 63-Jähriger mit schlohweißem Haar, hat schon viele Posten gehabt. Er war Minister für kommunalen Wohnungsbau und Präsident der weißrussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Drei Jahre dient er Präsident Alexander Lukaschenko nun schon als Ministerpräsident und als gelegentlicher Blitzableiter für Fehlleistungen der Regierung. Als Lockvogel hat Mjasnikowitsch in all den Jahren nicht fungieren müssen, aber irgendwann ist ja immer das erste Mal.

Mjasnikowitsch war beteiligt, als weißrussische Behörden dem russischen Top-Manager Wladislaw Baumgertner in Minsk eine Falle stellten. Baumgertner ist Chef von Uralkali, dem weltweit größten Hersteller von Mineraldünger. Der Regierungschef hatte Baumgertner nach Minsk geladen. Das Gespräch war nach Angaben der Moskauer Tageszeitung "Kommersant" "weit davon entfernt, konstruktiv zu sein". Mjasnikowitsch machte dem Russen Vorhaltungen, sein Unternehmen ruiniere den Staatenbund zwischen Russland und Weißrussland.
Viel spricht dafür, dass das Treffen lediglich ein Vorwand war. Als es zu Ende war, nahmen Sicherheitskräfte den Manager am Flughafen Minsk zur Seite. Erst durchsuchten sie ihn nach Drogen, dann nahmen sie ihn in Haft. Seitdem sitzt Baumgertner in einer Zelle des weißrussischen Geheimdienstes KGB. Lukaschenkos Staatsfernsehen strahlte zur besten Sendezeit Aufnahmen von Baumgertner in Haft aus, ganz so, als sei Weißrusslands Staatssicherheit ein gefährlicher Spion ins Netz gegangen.
Aggressiverer Preiskrieg
Die Verhaftung ist der bisherige Höhepunkt einer Wirtschaftsfehde, die seit Wochen die Weltmärkte in Atem hält. Uralkali und der weißrussische Staatskonzern Belaruskali hatten lange Jahre Seite an Seite agiert. Seit 2005 bildeten die Unternehmen ein Kali-Kartell, verkauften ihre Produktion über eine gemeinsame Tochterfirma und setzten so höhere Preise durch. Auf beide Konzerne zusammen entfielen 2012 rund 42 Prozent der weltweiten Produktion von Mineraldünger. Das Kali-Geschäft ist einer der wichtigsten Devisenbringer für das chronisch klamme Weißrussland.
Vor einem Monat aber hatte Baumgertner überraschend einen Preiskrieg ausgerufen. Der Russe kündigte an, Uralkali werde seine Fördermenge dramatisch erhöhen. Für die Branche kommt das einer kleinen Revolution gleich: Das Kali-Geschäft wird weltweit dominiert von wenigen großen Konzernen, die bislang dazu neigten, sich gegenseitig nicht allzu scharfe Konkurrenz zu machen.
Als Baumgertner die Bombe platzen ließ, sorgte sie auch in Deutschland für Schäden. Innerhalb weniger Tage brach der Kurs des deutschen K+S-Konzerns um 40 Prozent ein. Weltweit verloren Kali-Produzenten 20 Milliarden Dollar Börsenwert.
Der Schwenk auf einen aggressiveren Kurs bei Uralkali ist eng verbunden mit dem Namen Suleiman Kerimow. Der Milliardär, dessen Vermögen Forbes zuletzt auf rund sieben Milliarden Euro taxierte, hat den Konzern 2010 gekauft. Kerimow ist weder dafür bekannt, geduldig, noch besonders zimperlich zu sein. Einer breiteren Öffentlichkeit war er als Sponsor des russischen Fußballclubs Anschi Machatschkala ein Begriff. Seit 2011 lockte er Stars wie Samuel Eto'o in den Nordkaukasus.
K+S Deutschland reagiert gelassen
Warum Uralkali den Preiskrieg angezettelt hat, ist nicht ganz klar. Analysten vermuten, entweder solle ein Konkurrent sturmreif geschossen werden, damit die Russen ihn übernehmen können. Womöglich dienen die Kampfpreise aber auch dazu, Neulinge von einem Einstieg in das lukrative Kali-Geschäft abzuschrecken. Der australisch-britische Rohstoffkonzern BHP Billiton will in Kanada neue Lagerstätten erschließen, die Chinesen in Laos. Experten schätzen, das Fördervolumen könnte bis 2015 im Vergleich zu 2010 um 40 Prozent steigen.

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K+S in Deutschland demonstriert Gelassenheit. Man schwitze nicht gleich bei jedem Sturm, sagte Vorstandschef Norbert Steiner zur "FAZ". Die Weißrussen aber reagieren mit deutlich erhöhtem Puls. Russland habe den Krieg erklärt, schreibt die Regierungszeitung "Sowetskij Belarus". Uralkali betreibe "zerstörerisches Dumping". "Ein einziger Mann trifft Entscheidungen in Bezug auf Belaruskali"
Minsk fürchtet nicht nur um die Gewinne von Belaruskali, mit denen die Regierung seit Jahren Haushaltslöcher stopft. Lukaschenko sucht auch seit Jahren nach einem ausländischen Käufer für den Konzern. Bislang hat Minsk bei den Verhandlungen mit potentiellen Investoren aus Russland oder Singapur stets Phantasiesummen aufgerufen. 2012 forderte Lukaschenko gar 32 Milliarden Dollar. Wenn Uralkali aber die Produktionsmenge erhöht, drückt das den Wert von Belaruskali.
Baumgertner habe Weißrussland Schaden in Höhe von rund hundert Millionen Dollar zugefügt, heißt es in der Anklage. Wird er verurteilt, drohen dem Manager drei bis zehn Jahre Haft. Dass die Staatsanwälte ohne den Segen von Weißrusslands Präsident agieren, gilt als ausgeschlossen. "In Weißrussland trifft ein einziger Mann alle Entscheidungen in Bezug auf Belaruskali, und das ist Lukaschenko", sagt ein Ex-Chef von Uralkali, Anatolij Lebedew. Die Moskauer Wirtschaftszeitung "Wedomosti" kommentiert treffend, Lukaschenko habe Baumgertner als "Geisel genommen im Kali-Krieg".

 Von Benjamin Bidder, Moskau

Kilde:  http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/konkurrent-von-k-s-uralkali-chef-baumgertner-in-haft-a-919016.html

Dzmitry Dashkevich released

 Political prisoner Dashkevich was released from Grodno prison at 6.30 am.Kilde:http://charter97.org/en/news/2013/8/28/74641/

Uralkali CEO Baumgertner detained in Minsk

The Investigation Committee of Belarus accuses Vladislav Baumgertner of abuse of power.
The accusations are related to his activity as the chairman of the supervisory board of the Belarusian Potash Company (BPC), a joint trader of Belaruskali and Uralkali. The Russian company recently refused to export potash through BPC.
Vladislav Baumgertner, Uralkali CEO, is accused of abuse of power. He has been taken into custody. Four employees of the Belarusian Potash Company have been put on the international wanted list, Interfax news agency reports.
“The Investigation Committee of Belarus is investigating criminal cases initiated by the Prosecutor General's Office under part 3 of article 424 (Abuse of power) against executive officers of the Belarusian Potash Company: supervisory board chairman Vladislav Baumgertner, supervisory board member Oleg Petrov, first deputy general director Konstantin Solodovnikov, financial affairs deputy general director Igor Yevstratov, head of the freight department Dmitry Samoylov and others,” the Investigation Committee says.
The criminal cases were initiated in connection with the information about “abuse of power inflicting gross harm to the state and public interests of Belarus and causing large-scale losses to Belaruskali and BPC,” the Investigation Committee reports.
“On the base of the available evidence and other facts the Investigation Committee has issued orders to present charges against the above-mentioned persons. BPC Supervisory Board chairman Baumgertner has been detained and taken into custody,” the Investigation Committee informs. “Petrov, Solodovnikov, Yevstratov, Samoylov have been put on the international wanted list, also on Interpol's wanted list.”
Photo: vedomosti.ru
Kilde :  http://charter97.org/en/news/2013/8/26/74551/

Den uavhengige Republikken Hviterussland

25.august er en viktig dato i den Hviterusslands nyere historie. Fra 24 til 25. august 1991 ble det samlet et ekstraordinært møte av Hviterusslands Parlament.  Senere ble det kalt "uavhengighets møte." Det var under dette møtet det ble vedtatt en rekke viktige beslutninger for landet, som bekreftet og styrket den unge Hviterussiske Republikk uavhengighet.

Dannelsen av den uavhengige Republikken Hviterussland skjedde gradvis. Denne prosessen er forbundet med et antall datoer. Til tross for at Sovjetunionen ble likvidert bare 8. desember 1991, ble suvereniteten til Hviterussland deklarert den 27. juli 1990, mens 25. august 1991 fikk den en status som konstitusjonell lov. I den deklarasjonen av Hviterusslands Republikk Suverenitet ble det også erklært politisk, økonomisk og juridisk uavhengighet fra Sovjetunionen og den gamle sovjetiske loven. Samtidig ble det erklært at all eiendom og produksjon på territoriet til Hviterussland fra nå av tilhører Den Hviterussisk Republikk og det hviterussiske folket.  

Lenge Leve Belarus!
Жыве Беларусь!

Valiantsina Alinevich: Students flee Belarus

The authorities more need loyalty of academic staff and students than their professional skills and brains.
Valiantsina Alinevich, an associate professor, PhD in Economics, spoke to charter97.org about the low international ranking of Belarusian universities.
“It's not a surprise for me and for academic staff in universities. All of us see that the level of education has fallen in the country during the last decade. The key reason is not the level of professionalism of teachers, but the conditions in all sectors, including higher education. Not initiatives, but only mediocre is welcomed. There's a tendency to welcome political loyalty of academic staff and students rather than professional skills. It leads to downgrading professional knowledge. Parents pay their last money and send children to universities, but they don't receive much there. The fact that Belarus is the only country that hasn't joined the Bologna Process is a link in the same chain,” the economist thinks.
She adds that many students flee Belarus to Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and so on.
“Belarusian higher education is not recognised in other countries. Is there sense to pay for what you can receive in another country at a lower price but with higher quality? I had worked in the times when Viktar Hanchar and Stanislau Bahdankevich had worked at universities. They are famous and outstanding people. Students were more active. They are scared now. It is not only corrosion of economy and educational system, but corrosion of the entire life. I think it's a crime when the state's policy doesn't support people's aspirations to the better,” Valiantsina Alinevich said.
Belarusian universities were not included in the ARWU top 500, the most influential global ranking of universities.

Kilde :  http://charter97.org/en/news/2013/8/16/74050/

Family confirms kidnapping of Moldovan and Belarusian nationals in Syria

Two women from Belarus and Moldova were kidnapped more than a week ago.
A video of the women calling themselves citizens of Belarus and Moldova Sviatlana Markiyanavich (Svetlana Markiyanovich) and Karina Koltso and saying they had been taken captive by Syrian rebels appeared on YouTube on August 9. They stand surrounded by masked armed men and read from a paper they arrived in Syria under the guise of journalists to work for Hezbollah. Many think the video was staged.
As for the Belarusian woman, there is an account of Sviatlana Markiyanavich on Odnoklassniki social networking website. The person in the pictures and on the video appears to be the same. Sviatlana Markiyanavich, 30, lived in the town of Zhodzina. Her last visit to the account was on June 17, 2013. One of the photos shows her against the background of a plane's window. No more details were found on her Odnoklassniki account.
Radio Svaboda journalists obtained more information about the other woman, Moldovan citizen Karina Koltso.
Her brother Leodnid Bydko said she had gone abroad to work on July 25.
“She called me a week ago and said she had been kidnapped. I said I didn't know what to do. She then said I should contact the woman who had sent her there. I asked how it happened. She said she had been kidnapped while she was at her friend's. Both women are held captive.”
She made the first phone call from a Lebanese number. Her second call was made from a Syrian number. She said she was in Syria.
Karina Koltso, 32, doesn't have family, children and a stable job. Her brother has not informed the police yet.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus is examining the circumstances of how a video showing a woman who says she is a Belarusian national taken captive in Syria appeared on the internet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGWpRiF69iw

 Kilde : http://charter97.org/en/news/2013/8/14/73889/

Official economists suggest devaluation

It would have sense to carry out a soft gradual devaluation of the national currency.
This opinion was expressed by Viktar Pinihin, the first deputy director of the Economic Research Institute of the Ministry of Economy, in his article published in the July issue of Economic Bulletin, BelaPAN news agency reports.
Pinihin notes “a rather fast appreciation of the ruble real exchange rate (the inflation rate is far higher than the devaluation rate)”.
“As a result, Belarusian goods are losing the competitive advantages gained after the 2011 ruble devaluation. On the other hand, the National Bank continues to buy foreign currency in the currency market in order not to allow excessive appreciation of the Belarusian ruble,” Pinihin wrote in his article.
The economist thinks that measures taken by the National Bank allow replenishing the country's foreign currency and gold reserves.
“For increasing competitive abilities of Belarus's economy it seems reasonable to carry out a soft gradual devaluation of the national currency in the short term on the basis of supplying the growing demand for the foreign currency by the state given that the state really needs it,” the first director of the Research Economic Institute says.
The devaluation rate should be tied to the Russian ruble depreciation, the economist suggests.
“It is possible to be guided by the index of the Russian ruble devaluation against the dollar that has been carrying out by Russia since the beginning of the year to protect its national market after the WTO accession (instead of the tariff protection) and increase price competitiveness of Russian manufacturers in the international market,” Pinihin supposes.

Kilde :  http://charter97.org/en/news/2013/8/8/73582/

Signature for white-red-white flag to be filed to Ministry of Culture

One thousand of signatures for including the national white-red-white flag in the Cultural Heritage List of Belarus will be filed to the Ministry of Culture today.
The campaign to collect signatures was launched on June 5 by BMAgroup, Art Siadziba and Rock Solidarity groups, Radio Svaboda reports.
Pavel Belavus, Art Siadziba director and initiator of the campaign, says about 60 people sent signature sheets from all Belarusian regions. Most signatures were collected in Minsk, but people from Dziatlava, Cherven, Maladzechna, Vileika, Kletsk, Mahilou, Vitebsk, Homel and other towns joined the campaign.
Rock Solidarity group released the CD “Symbol of belief and freedom”.
The petition was signed by about 1,000 people. Signature sheets will be handed over to the Ministry of Culture and their copies will be submitted to the department of archives and record management of the Ministry of Justice and the President's Administration.
The petition calls to “reconsider the question of adding the white-red-white flag to the Cultural Heritage List of Belarus or give another status to the national relic, which currently doesn't have any status.”
Campaign initiators remind the authorities that the white-red-white flag has an long history and had been the state flag of Belarus in 1991-1995.
“Adding the white-red-white flag to the Cultural Heritage List of Belarus or giving it another status will facilitate reconciliation, mutual understanding and peace in the country,” the authors say.
The Ministry of Culture replied to a similar appeal in 2010. Officials said the white-red-white flag couldn't be included in the Cultural Heritage List, because the flag had became a symbol of the Belarusian People's Republic on proposal of BPR state secretary Klaudzi Duzh-Dusheuski only in early 1919.
Campaign organisers decided to remind the authorities that the first president of Belarus swore in under this flag.
“If it is not recognised cultural heritage, we may cross out the first years of Belarus's independence, when it was the state flag,” Pavel Belavus thinks.

Kilde :  http://charter97.org/en/news/2013/8/8/73604/

Aksjonene for støtte til politiske fanger i Hviterussland

4 august kom medlemmer av "Union for demokrati i Hviterussland" til den hviterussiske ambassaden i Berlin og hang der portretter av hviterussiske politiske fanger. Det gjøres hvert år for å sette fokus på ansikter av Eugene Vaskovich og Artem Prokopenko som ble dømt til sju års fengsel for å forsøke å sette fyr på døren til Bobruisk avdeling av KGB- fortalte  Anatol Michnaviec lederen av "Union for demokrati i Hviterussland" i Polen til Euroradio.
I tillegg til Vaskovich og Prokopenko ble det også nevnt menneskerettighetsaktivisten Ales Bialiatski og hviterussisk flyktning i Polen Andrei Zhukavets.

 På samme dag besøkte representanter for organisasjonen i Stavanger monumentet "Sverd i fjell". Ved siden av den hang de også portretter av politiske fanger i Hviterussland og en hvit-rød-hvitt flagg.
Aksjonene ble holdt til Day of Solidaritet med hviterussiske sivile samfunn.

Samme aksjon ble holdt i Warszawa i Polen av medlemene i den "Union for demokrati i Hviterussland" og andre organisasjoner. 

Kilde :   http://euroradio.fm/pra-belaruskih-palitvyaznyau-zgadali-u-nyamechchyne-i-narvegii-fota00

Bilder fra : http://racyja.eu/ 

http://euroradio.fm/pra-belaruskih-palitvyaznyau-zgadali-u-nyamechchyne-i-narvegii-fota00

 http://www.svaboda.org/content/article/25065897.html