CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT
Full Member Since: 6/17/96
On 6/17/96, Belarus was one of 23 countries admitted as full-members
to the CD. Belarus had participated as a non-member since early 1995, and
was approved for membership on 9/21/95.
[AFP, 6/17/96, "UN Disarmament Conference Admits 23 New
Members;" Doug Clarke, "Belarus, Ukraine to Join UN Disarmament Body,"
OMRI DAILY DIGEST, no. 185, vol. 1, 9/22/95, p. 7; "Expansion of C.D.,"
DISARMAMENT TIMES, 10/11/95, P. 4.]
COUNCIL OF EUROPE Representatives of the Belarusian legislative and executive bodies confirmed
their readiness to cooperate to prepare Belarus to enter the Council of
Europe. The Council in turn is taking steps to prepare Belarus to enter
the Council: it will fund 19 seminars and bilateral meetings in Belarus,
will organize 12 fellowships for representatives of Belarus in Strasbourg
and in other member-sates of the Council of Europe, and will provide expert
and technical assistance to Belarus.
["Belarus Moves Toward Council of Europe," Press Release,
Embassy of Belarus, 1/23/96.]
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY
Member Since: 4/8/57
Belarus has been a member of the IAEA since 4/8/57. (Belarus had a separate
seat in the United Nations and was therefore able to sign treaties before
it gained independence in 12/91.) [IAEA INFCIRC/2/Rev.44, 9/19/94.]
Resident Representative to IAEA: Ambassador Valyantsin Fisenka.
Safeguards On 15 April 1995, Belarus signed a safeguards agreement with the IAEA,
the text of which had been approved on 12 September 1994 by the IAEA Board
of Governors, in accordance with Article 3 of the NPT. The agreement was
signed by Ivan Kenik, Minister of Emergency Situations and Chernobyl Affairs,
and Hans Blix, General Director of the IAEA. The agreement entered into
force after ratification by the Belarusian government, on 2 August 1995.
["Inventory Update," THE NONPROLIFERATION REVIEW, Center
for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey, CA, Fall 1994, p. 209; Press Release,
Republic of Belarus, Permanent Mission to the United Nations, 4/15/95;
BELAPAN (Minsk), 4/17/95; in "Agreement with International Atomic Energy
Agency Signed," FBIS-SOV-95-074, 4/17/95; IAEA hompage, 4/17/97]
NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP (NSG) On 1 June 2000 Belarus became a full-fledged member
of the NSG. Discussions regarding Belarus's membership in the NSG began
in 1997 and included a number of bilateral consultations with members of
the NSG. In conjunction with these efforts, Belarus also prepared
a packet of legislation in the area of export controls.
["Belorussiya stala polnopravnym
chlenom gruppy yadernykh postavshchikov," Interfax, No. 3, 1 June 2000.
] {Entered 6/19/00 IPZ}
NATO PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE Belarus joined the PfP program in 11/95. As of 12/95, the National Security
Council of Belarus was preparing a program for Belarusian cooperation under
the PfP.
[CISNP Communications with Belarusian expert, 12/28/95.]
WASSENAAR ARRANGEMENTS On 26 January 1998 Deputy Foreign
Minister Syarhey Martynaw announced that Belarus was interested in joining
the Wassenaar Arrangements on export controls on conventional arms, goods,
and dual-use materials. Signed by 33 countries in June 1996, the
Wassenaar Arrangements are designed to replace the Cold War-era COCOM.
[Interfax, 26 January 1998; in "Belarus
Interested in Joining Arms Export Agreement," FBIS-TAC-98-026.] {entered
2/9/98 djw}
