Belarusportal |
The Byelorussian SSR was one of only two Soviet republics to be separate members of the United Nations (the other being the Ukrainian SSR). Both republics and the Soviet Union joined the UN when the organization was founded in 1945.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, at which time Belarus gained its independence, Belarus became a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), NATO's Partnership for Peace, the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. The adoption by Supreme Council of the BSSR of the declaration of State Sovereignty of Belarus in 1990 was a turning point on the development of the state. It has also been in a supranational union with Russia since 2 April 1996, although this has had little practical effect.
The introduction of free trade between Russia and Belarus in mid-1995 led to a spectacular growth in bilateral trade, which was only temporarily reversed in the wake of the financial crisis of 1998. President Alexander Lukashenko sought to develop a closer relationship with Russia. The framework for the Union of Russia and Belarus was set out in the Treaty on the Formation of a Community of Russia and Belarus (1996), the Treaty on Russia-Belarus Union, the Union Charter (1997), and the Treaty of the Formation of a Union State (1999). The integration treaties contained commitments to monetary union, equal rights, single citizenship, and a common defence and foreign policy.
Following the recognition of Belarus as an independent state in December 1991 by the European Community, EC/EU-Belarus relations initially experienced a steady progress. The signature of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) in 1995 signaled a commitment to political, economic and trade cooperation. Some assistance was provided to Belarus within the framework of the TACIS programme and also through various aid programs and loans. However, progress in EU-Belarus relations stalled in 1996 after serious setbacks to the development of democracy, and the Drazdy conflict.
The EU did not recognize the 1996 constitution, which replaced the 1994 constitution. The Council of the European Union decided against Belarus in 1997: The PCA was not concluded, nor was its trade-related part; Belarusian membership in the Council of Europe was not supported; bilateral relations at the ministerial level were suspended and EU technical assistance programs were frozen.
Acknowledging the lack of progress in relation to bilateral relations and the internal situation following the position adopted in 1997, the EU adopted a step-by-step approach in 1999, whereby sanctions would be gradually lifted upon fulfillment of the four benchmarks set by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. In 2000, some moderately positive developments toward the implementation of recommendations made by the OSCE AMG were observed but were not sufficient in the realm of access to fair and free elections.
The United States has encouraged Belarus to conclude and adhere to agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the program of macroeconomic stabilization and related reform measures, as well as to undertake increased privatization and to create a favorable climate for business and investment. Although there has been some American direct private investment in Belarus, its development has been relatively slow given the uncertain pace of reform. An Overseas Private Investment Corporation agreement was signed in June 1992 but has been suspended since 1995 because Belarus did not fulfill its obligations under the agreement.
Belarus is eligible for Export-Import Bank short-term financing insurance for U.S. investments, but because of the adverse business climate, no projects have been initiated. The IMF granted standby credit in September 1995, but Belarus has fallen off the program and did not receive the second tranche of funding, which had been scheduled for regular intervals throughout 1996.
The United States - along with the European Union - has restricted the travel of President Alexander Lukashenko and members of his inner circle, as well as imposing economic sanctions. [1]
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This section needs to be updated.(May 2021) |
The structure of Belarus trade reflects the low competitiveness and output decline of manufacturing industry in the country over the past decade, leading to the predominance of primary production, work-intensive goods as exports. Belarusian exports to the EU consist mainly of agricultural and textile products, while imports from the EU are primarily machinery.
Belarus is a beneficiary of the EU's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). The European Commission decided in 2003 to initiate an investigation into violations of freedom of association in Belarus as the first step towards a possible temporary withdrawal of the GSP from Belarus.
In December 2004, the EU adopted a position aimed at imposing travel restrictions on officials from Belarus responsible for the fraudulent parliamentary elections and referendum on 17 October 2004, and for human rights violations during subsequent peaceful political demonstrations in Minsk. The European Parliament released a statement in March 2005 in which it denounced the Belarusian government as a dictatorship. The European parliamentarians were primarily concerned about the suppression of independent media outlets in the country and the fraudulent referendum. A resolution of the European Parliament declared that the personal bank accounts of President Lukashenko and other high-ranking Belarusian officials should be tracked and frozen.
In 2005, Amnesty International reported a pattern of deliberate obstruction, harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders in Belarus. Reporters Without Borders accused the Belarusian authorities of hounding and arresting journalists from the country's Polish minority. Lukashenko has closed the country's main Polish newspaper, printing a bogus paper instead with the same name and size that praises his incumbent government. Several foreign, mainly Polish, journalists have been arrested or expelled from the country. Lukashenko accused Poland of an attempt to overthrow his government by stirring up a peaceful revolution in Belarus comparable to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004.
Later in 2005 the Belarusian riot police seized the headquarters of the Union of Poles in Belarus, an association representing the 400,000 ethnic minority Polish living in western areas the country that were part of Poland until World War II. The dispute between Poland and Belarus escalated further as Poland responded by recalling its ambassador from Belarus for indefinite consultations, and called on the European Union to impose sanctions on the Belarusian leadership in order to curtail the human rights abuses in Belarus. Belarusian papers described this as a 'dirty political game', and part of a 'cold war' waged on president Lukashenko. Polish Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld said a clampdown was under way, aimed at destroying "all elements of political pluralism and independence" in Belarus.
In August 2005 the EU's executive commission called for human rights to be respected in Belarus. The commission said it was considering offering support to independent media in the country and had set aside more than eight million euros from its budget to offer support for human rights activities. France expressed her solidarity with Poland on the issue of human rights in Belarus a day after the EU declared it was worried about the situation in that country. Several former Soviet Republics, including neighbouring Ukraine, also expressed their concerns about the development of the situation in Belarus.
In May 2009 Belarus and the EU agree on cooperation in the Eastern Partnership (EaP). However, it is contended by some scholars that the (EaP) is unable to create a workable partnership. [2] This proved to be correct when Belarus withdrew from the Partnership on 30 September 2011. [3]
In August 2012, Belarus expelled all Swedish diplomats, including the Swedish Ambassador to Belarus, Stefan Eriksson, and closed its embassy in Stockholm, after a Swedish public relations firm released teddy bears carrying pro-democracy flyers in parachutes from an airplane over Minsk on 4 July 2012. Lukashenko also fired his air defence chief and the head of the border guards over the incident. Their replacements have been told not to hesitate to use force to stop future intrusions from abroad. [4]
Russia remains the largest and most important partner for Belarus both in the political and economic fields. After protracted disputes and setbacks, the two countries' customs duties were unified in March 2001 but the customs controls were soon restored. In terms of trade, almost half of Belarusian export goes to Russia. Due to the structure of Belarusian industry, Belarus relies heavily on Russia both for export markets and for the supply of raw materials and components.
After initial negotiation with the Russian Central Bank on monetary union, the Russian ruble was set to be introduced in Belarus in 2004, but this was postponed first until 2005, then until 2006, and now seems to have been suspended indefinitely.
Belarus has had an ongoing discussion to relaunch IMF-backed reforms, concluding an arrangement for an IMF Staff-monitored program (SMP) in 2001. However, the authorities did not follow through with reforms as hoped, leaving an uncertain future for IMF-backed cooperation. Belarus authorities have said on several occasions that they find IMF intervention and recommendations in Belarus counter-productive to the economic development of those countries. The relationships with the United States have been further strained, after Congress of the United States unanimously passed the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004.
On 7 March 2008 the government of Belarus ejected US Ambassador Karen B. Stewart from the country, following a row over travel restrictions placed on President Lukashenko and sanctions against state-owned chemical company Belneftekhim. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry announced at the same time that it was recalling its own ambassador to the US. This was followed by the expulsion of ten other U.S. embassy staff from Minsk in late April. At the same time the government of Belarus ordered the U.S. Embassy in Minsk to cut its staff by half. [5] [6] [7] A White House spokesman described the expulsion as "deeply disappointing".
Due to strained relations with the United States and the European Union, as well as occasional high-level disputes with Russia over prices on core imported natural resources such as oil and gas, Belarus aims to develop better relations with countries in other regions, like the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. [8]
Belarus was one of 53 countries that in June 2020 supported the Hong Kong national security law at the United Nations Human Rights Council. [9]
In May 2023, the President of Belarus offered nuclear weapons to other countries who join Belarus and Russia. [10]
List of countries which Belarus maintains diplomatic relations with:
# | Country | Date |
---|---|---|
1 | Ukraine | 27 December 1991 [11] |
2 | United States | 28 December 1991 [12] |
3 | Lithuania | 30 December 1991 [13] |
4 | Australia | 9 January 1992 [14] |
5 | Mexico | 14 January 1992 [15] |
6 | Sweden | 14 January 1992 [16] |
7 | China | 20 January 1992 [17] |
8 | Mongolia | 24 January 1992 [18] |
9 | Vietnam | 24 January 1992 [19] |
10 | France | 25 January 1992 [20] |
11 | Japan | 26 January 1992 [21] |
12 | Portugal | 26 January 1992 [22] |
13 | United Kingdom | 27 January 1992 [23] |
14 | Chile | January 1992 [24] |
15 | Egypt | 1 February 1992 [25] |
16 | North Korea | 3 February 1992 [26] |
17 | Denmark | 4 February 1992 [27] |
18 | Norway | 4 February 1992 [28] |
19 | Austria | 5 February 1992 [29] |
20 | Brazil | 10 February 1992 [30] |
21 | Liechtenstein | 10 February 1992 [31] |
22 | South Korea | 10 February 1992 [32] |
23 | Switzerland | 10 February 1992 [33] |
24 | Hungary | 12 February 1992 [34] |
25 | Spain | 13 February 1992 [35] |
26 | Romania | 14 February 1992 [36] |
27 | Bangladesh | 21 February 1992 [37] |
28 | Finland | 26 February 1992 [38] |
29 | Poland | 2 March 1992 [39] |
30 | Greece | 5 March 1992 [40] |
31 | Malaysia | 5 March 1992 [41] |
32 | Belgium | 10 March 1992 [42] |
33 | Germany | 13 March 1992 [43] |
34 | Netherlands | 24 March 1992 [44] |
35 | Turkey | 25 March 1992 [45] |
36 | Bulgaria | 26 March 1992 [46] |
37 | Israel | 26 March 1992 [47] |
38 | Ireland | 27 March 1992 [48] |
39 | Guinea | 4 April 1992 [49] |
40 | Estonia | 6 April 1992 [50] |
41 | Latvia | 7 April 1992 [51] |
42 | Cyprus | 9 April 1992 [30] |
43 | New Zealand | 9 April 1992 [52] |
44 | Italy | 13 April 1992 [53] |
45 | Canada | 15 April 1992 [54] |
46 | Cuba | 16 April 1992 [55] |
47 | Zimbabwe | 16 April 1992 [56] |
48 | India | 17 April 1992 [57] |
49 | Ghana | 5 May 1992 [58] |
50 | Morocco | 8 May 1992 [30] |
51 | Kuwait | 25 May 1992 [59] |
52 | Equatorial Guinea | 25 May 1992 [60] |
53 | Cape Verde | 4 June 1992 [61] |
54 | Thailand | 21 June 1992 [62] |
55 | Costa Rica | 24 June 1992 [63] |
56 | Russia | 25 June 1992 [64] |
57 | Uruguay | 7 July 1992 [30] |
58 | Luxembourg | 9 July 1992 [65] |
59 | Oman | 23 July 1992 [66] |
60 | Slovenia | 23 July 1992 [67] |
61 | Burundi | 24 July 1992 [68] |
62 | Nigeria | 3 August 1992 [69] |
63 | Singapore | 12 August 1992 [70] |
64 | Kazakhstan | 16 September 1992 [71] |
65 | Croatia | 25 September 1992 [72] |
66 | United Arab Emirates | 20 October 1992 [73] |
67 | Argentina | 6 November 1992 [30] |
— | Holy See | 11 November 1992 [74] |
68 | Paraguay | 18 November 1992 [30] |
69 | Moldova | 19 November 1992 [75] |
70 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 22 November 1992 [76] |
71 | Burkina Faso | 25 November 1992 [77] |
72 | Colombia | 9 December 1992 [30] |
73 | Czech Republic | 5 January 1993 [78] |
74 | Slovakia | 14 January 1993 [79] |
75 | North Macedonia | 20 January 1993 [80] |
76 | Kyrgyzstan | 21 January 1993 [81] |
77 | Turkmenistan | 21 January 1993 [82] |
78 | Uzbekistan | 21 January 1993 [83] |
79 | Malta | 16 February 1993 [84] |
80 | South Africa | 4 March 1993 [85] |
81 | Guatemala | 11 March 1993 [30] |
82 | Iran | 18 March 1993 [86] |
83 | Ecuador | 5 May 1993 [30] |
84 | Albania | 17 May 1993 [87] |
85 | Madagascar | 28 May 1993 [88] |
86 | Armenia | 11 June 1993 [89] |
87 | Azerbaijan | 11 June 1993 [90] |
88 | Indonesia | 18 June 1993 [91] |
89 | Nepal | 19 July 1993 [30] |
90 | Syria | 26 August 1993 [92] |
91 | Zambia | 13 October 1993 [93] |
92 | Mali | 3 November 1993 [94] |
93 | Kenya | 17 November 1993 [95] |
94 | Maldives | 6 December 1993 [30] |
95 | Georgia | 6 January 1994 [96] |
96 | Pakistan | 3 February 1994 [97] |
97 | Laos | 7 February 1994 [98] |
98 | Bolivia | 11 April 1994 [99] |
99 | Ethiopia | 18 May 1994 [100] |
100 | Nicaragua | 24 May 1994 [101] |
101 | Jamaica | 6 June 1994 [30] |
102 | Serbia | 15 November 1994 [102] |
103 | Cambodia | 25 January 1995 [30] |
104 | Angola | 24 April 1995 [30] |
105 | Yemen | 7 August 1995 [103] |
106 | Algeria | 24 October 1995 [104] |
107 | Qatar | 16 January 1996 [30] |
108 | Lebanon | 21 March 1996 [105] |
— | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 30 April 1996 [106] |
109 | Philippines | 22 May 1996 [107] |
110 | Tanzania | 23 May 1996 [108] |
111 | Bahrain | 1 July 1996 [30] |
112 | Libya | 9 July 1996 [109] |
113 | Tajikistan | 5 September 1996 [110] |
114 | Jordan | 15 October 1996 [30] |
115 | Gabon | 5 December 1996 [111] |
116 | Iraq | 26 December 1996 [112] |
117 | Tunisia | 29 January 1997 [113] |
118 | Venezuela | 4 February 1997 [30] |
119 | Peru | 19 February 1997 [114] |
120 | Saudi Arabia | 6 June 1997 [115] |
121 | Eritrea | 11 September 1998 [116] |
122 | Ivory Coast | 30 September 1998 [30] |
123 | Uganda | 2 October 1998 [117] |
124 | Panama | 22 October 1998 [30] |
125 | Afghanistan | 15 June 1999 [118] |
126 | Sudan | 15 July 1999 [119] |
127 | El Salvador | 25 October 1999 [30] |
128 | Haiti | 29 October 1999 [30] |
129 | Guyana | 25 February 2000 [30] |
130 | Mozambique | 29 February 2000 [30] |
131 | Antigua and Barbuda | 18 May 2000 [30] |
132 | Grenada | 31 May 2000 [30] |
133 | Belize | 4 August 2000 [120] |
134 | Saint Lucia | 25 August 2000 [30] |
135 | Myanmar | 22 September 2000 [30] |
136 | Sri Lanka | 20 November 2000 [121] |
137 | Namibia | 21 December 2000 [122] |
138 | Dominican Republic | 18 April 2001 [30] |
139 | Iceland | 25 May 2001 [30] |
140 | Benin | 21 June 2001 [123] |
141 | Malawi | 13 July 2001 [30] |
142 | Chad | 20 August 2001 [124] |
143 | Nauru | 12 September 2001 [30] |
144 | Seychelles | 4 October 2001 [30] |
145 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 11 December 2001 [30] |
146 | Senegal | 25 January 2002 [30] |
147 | Republic of the Congo | 11 February 2002 [125] |
148 | Rwanda | 25 February 2002 [30] |
149 | Gambia | 10 April 2002 [30] |
150 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 24 April 2002 [30] |
151 | Honduras | 20 May 2002 [30] |
152 | Guinea-Bissau | 27 September 2002 [126] |
153 | Brunei | 4 November 2002 [30] |
— | State of Palestine | 4 February 2003 [127] |
154 | Mauritius | 26 September 2003 [30] |
155 | Sierra Leone | 27 September 2003 [30] |
156 | Somalia | 3 October 2003 [128] |
157 | Mauritania | 6 July 2004 [129] |
158 | Dominica | 9 July 2004 [130] |
159 | Botswana | 15 March 2006 [30] |
160 | Montenegro | 8 August 2006 [131] |
161 | Cameroon | 14 November 2006 [132] |
162 | San Marino | 9 February 2009 [133] |
163 | Suriname | 2 June 2009 [30] |
164 | Fiji | 26 May 2010 [30] |
165 | Togo | 28 September 2010 [30] |
166 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 16 November 2010 [134] |
167 | Trinidad and Tobago | 12 April 2011 [30] |
168 | Andorra | 27 September 2011 [30] |
169 | Niger | 29 March 2012 [135] |
170 | Central African Republic | 4 April 2012 [30] |
171 | Solomon Islands | 10 September 2012 [30] |
172 | Tuvalu | 12 September 2012 [136] |
173 | Djibouti | 26 August 2013 [137] |
174 | South Sudan | 3 September 2013 [138] |
175 | East Timor | 1 October 2014 [139] |
176 | Monaco | 15 April 2016 [140] |
177 | Liberia | 27 April 2016 [30] |
178 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 4 June 2016 [141] |
179 | Bahamas | 9 December 2019 [142] |
180 | Barbados | 10 December 2019 [143] |
181 | Lesotho | 2020 [144] |
182 | Eswatini | 4 June 2024 [145] |
Organization | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
European Union | See Belarus–European Union relations | |
NATO | See Belarus–NATO relations |
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Angola | 1995-04-24 | Bilateral relations were established on 24 April 1995. [146] |
Ethiopia | 1994-05 | Diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in May 1994. [147]
|
Kenya | 1993-11-17 | Bilateral relations were established on 17 November 1993 |
Libya | 1992 | See Belarus–Libya relations.
|
Mozambique | 2000-02-29 | Bilateral relations were established between Belarus and Mozambique on 29 February 2000. [153] |
Namibia | 2000-12-21 | The two countries established bilateral relations on 21 December 2000. [155] |
South Africa | March 1993 [157] | |
Sudan | 1999-07-15 | See Belarus–Sudan relations |
Zimbabwe | 1992-04-16 | Bilateral relations were established on 16 April 1992. [159] |
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Argentina |
| |
Brazil |
| |
Canada | 1992-04-15 | Belarus and Canada established diplomatic relations on 15 April 1992. [161] |
Cuba | 1992-04 | Bilateral relations between Cuba and Belarus began in April 1992. [165] |
Dominica | 2004 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 July 2004. [168] |
Dominican Republic |
| |
Ecuador | The governments of Belarus and Ecuador concluded an agreement about mutual visa-free travel. It was signed in Quito on 20 June 2014, ratified by Belarus law on 29 December 2014. [171]
| |
Guyana | 2000 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 February 2000. [172] |
Mexico | January 1992 | See Belarus–Mexico relations Belarus and Mexico established diplomatic relations in January 1992. [173]
|
Panama | 1998-10-22 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 October 1998. [177]
|
United States | 1991 | See Belarus–United States relations Diplomatic relations between the United States and Belarus began in 1991 upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union, of which Belarus had been a part. However, the relations have turned sour due to accusations by the United States that Belarus has been undemocratic. Belarus, in turn, has accused the United States of interfering in its internal affairs.
|
Uruguay | 1992 |
|
Venezuela | 1992 |
|
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Armenia | 1992 |
|
Azerbaijan | 1992 | See Azerbaijan–Belarus relations
|
Bangladesh | 1992-02-21 | Bilateral relations were established on 21 February 1992. [186] |
China | 1992 | |
Georgia | 1992 | See Belarus–Georgia relations
|
India | 1992-04-17 | [193] |
Iran | 1993-03-18 | See Belarus–Iran relations. Bilateral relations were established on 18 March 1993. [195]
|
Israel | 1992 | Belarus and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1992. During the 1990s, around 130,000 Belarusian citizens immigrated to Israel, forming one of the largest Belarusian expatriate communities in the world. [199] In August 2015, an agreement was signed on visa-free entry, [200] making Israel the first country outside the Former Soviet Union to have visa-free travel with Belarus.[ citation needed ] |
Japan | 1992-01-26 | The two countries established bilateral relations on 26 January 1992. [204] |
Kazakhstan | 1992-09-16 | Bilateral relations began on 16 September 1992. [206]
|
Kyrgyzstan | 1993-07-21 | Belarus and Kyrgyzstan established diplomatic relations on 21 July 1993. [207] Relations were disrupted between August 2012 and October 2015 after Kyrgyzstan recalled their ambassador. [208]
|
Maldives | 1993-12-06 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 December 1993. [210] |
Myanmar | 22 September 2000 | See Belarus-Myanmar relations |
Nepal | 1993-07-19 | Belarus and Nepal established diplomatic relations on 19 July 1993. [211] |
North Korea | 1992 | See Foreign relations of North Korea. Relations were established in 1992. [213]
|
Pakistan | See Pakistan–Belarus relations Diplomatic relations were established on 3 February 1994. [219]
| |
South Korea | 1992-02-10 [222] | See Belarus–South Korea relations The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Belarus started on 10 February 1992.
|
Sri Lanka | 2000-11-20 | Bilateral relations were established on 20 November 2000. [226] |
Syria | 1992 | |
Tajikistan | 1992 |
|
Turkey | 1992-05-25 | See Belarus–Turkey relations
|
Turkmenistan | 1992 | |
Uzbekistan | 1992 |
|
Vietnam | 27 December 1991 [230] |
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Austria | 1992 | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1993-11-22 | Belarus and Bosnia and Herzegovina established bilateral relations on 22 November 1993. [234] |
Bulgaria | 1992-03-26 | |
Croatia | 1992-09-25 | See Belarus–Croatia relations
|
Cyprus | 1991 | |
Czech Republic | 1993 | |
Denmark | See Belarus–Denmark relations
| |
Estonia | 1992-04-06 | Bilateral relations began on 6 April 1992. [248] |
Finland | 1992-02-26 | |
France | 1992-01 | Belarus and France established diplomatic relations in January 1992. [253] |
Germany | 1923 |
|
Greece | See Belarus–Greece relations
| |
Hungary | 1992-02-12 | Bilateral relations were established between Belarus and Hungary on 12 February 1992. [263]
|
Ireland | 1992-03-27 | Belarus and Ireland established bilateral relations on 27 March 1992. [265]
|
Italy | 1992-04-13 | Bilateral relations were established on 13 April 1992. [268]
|
Latvia | 1992-04-07 | See Belarus–Latvia relations The two countries signed a "Declaration on the Principles of Good-Neighborly Relations" on 16 December 1991 and established full bilateral relations on 7 April 1992. [272] Embassies were opened in both countries in 1993 and consulates general the following year. [272] |
Lithuania | 1992-12-30 | See Belarus–Lithuania relations Both countries recognised each other's independence in December 1991, and signed an agreement on diplomatic relations on 30 December 1992. [275] |
Malta | 1993-02-16 | Diplomatic relations were established on 16 February 1993. [280] |
Moldova | 1992-11-19 | Bilateral relations were established on 19 November 1992. [283]
|
Netherlands | 1994-03-24 | See Belarus–Netherlands relations Bilateral relations began on 24 March 1992. [290]
|
Poland | 1992-03-02 | See Belarus–Poland relations Belarus and Poland established bilateral relations on 2 March 1992. [291] |
Portugal |
| |
Romania | 1992-02-14 | See Belarus–Romania relations Romania recognised the independence of Belarus on 20 December 1991 and bilateral relations were established on 14 February 1992. [296] |
Russia | 1992-06-25 | See Belarus–Russia relations Belarus and Russia established diplomatic relations on 25 June 1992. [297]
|
Serbia | 1994-11-15 | See Belarus–Serbia relations
|
Slovakia | 1993 |
|
Slovenia | 1992-07-23 | Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 23 July 1992. [305] |
Spain | 1992-02-13 | See Belarus–Spain relations
|
Sweden | 1992 |
|
Switzerland |
| |
Ukraine | See Belarus–Ukraine relations
| |
United Kingdom | 1991 |
|
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Australia | 9 January 1992 [315] | |
New Zealand | 9 April 1992 |
|
Since its independence, Armenia has maintained a policy of trying to have positive and friendly relations with Iran, Russia, and the West, including the United States and the European Union. It has full membership status in a number of international organizations, such as the Council of Europe and the Eurasian Economic Union, and observer status, etc. in some others. However, the dispute over the Armenian genocide of 1915 and the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have created tense relations with two of its immediate neighbors, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Lithuania is a European country located on the south-eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. It is a member of the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the World Trade Organisation. Currently, Lithuania maintains diplomatic relations with 186 states. It became a member of the United Nations on 18 September 1991, and is a signatory to a number of its organizations and other international agreements. It is also a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO and its adjunct North Atlantic Coordinating Council, the Council of Europe, and the European Union. Lithuania gained membership in the World Trade Organization on 31 May 2001.
After achieving independence from the Soviet Union, the Republic of Moldova established relations with other European countries. A course for European Union integration and neutrality define the country's foreign policy guidelines.
Ukraine has formal relations with many nations and in recent decades has been establishing diplomatic relations with an expanding circle of nations. The foreign relations of Ukraine are guided by a number of key priorities outlined in the foreign policy of Ukraine.
Interstate relations between the United States and Belarus began in 1991 upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union, of which Belarus had been a part. However, the relations have turned sour due to accusations by the United States that Belarus has been violating human rights. Belarus, in turn, has accused the United States of interfering in its internal affairs.
The Republic of Abkhazia is a partially recognized state in the South Caucasus which declared independence from Georgia during the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993). At the time, the Soviet Union had recently collapsed (1991).
Belarus and Russia share a land border and constitute the supranational Union State. Several treaties have been concluded between the two nations bilaterally. Russia is Belarus' largest and most important economic and political partner. Both are members of various international organizations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the United Nations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus is the Belarusian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Belarus.
On December 31, 1991, SFR Yugoslavia recognized Belarus by the decision on the recognition of the former republics of the USSR.
Belarus and Ukraine both are full members of the Baku Initiative and Central European Initiative. In 2020, during the Belarusian protests against president Lukashenko, the relationship between Ukraine and Belarus began to deteriorate, after the Ukrainian government criticized Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. In the waning days of 2021, the relationship between both countries rapidly deteriorated, culminating in a full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. Belarus has allowed the stationing of Russian troops and equipment in its territory and its use as a springboard for offensives into northern Ukraine but has denied the presence of Belarusian troops in Ukraine. Even though part of the Russian invasion was launched from Belarus, Ukraine did not break off diplomatic relations with Belarus, but remain frozen. In July 2024, Lukashenko described Ukraine as an enemy.
Currently, Belarus has an embassy in Riga, while Latvia has an embassy in Minsk. The countries share 161 km as it relates to their common border.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Belarus are at very high level that Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko describes Azerbaijan as a "saver" of independence and sovereignty of Belarus and adds that "there's not anything close" in Azerbaijani-Belarusian relations. Both countries were part of the Russian Empire until 1918 and before 1991, they were part of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan has an embassy in Minsk and Belarus has an embassy in Baku. Both countries are full members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Azerbaijan is a full member of the Council of Europe, Belarus is a candidate. Both Azerbaijan and Belarus are full members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). There are more than 6,000 Azerbaijanis living in Belarus.
Belarus and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1992. In 1947, Belarus voted in favor for the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. Belarus operates an embassy in Tel Aviv, while Israel operates an embassy in Minsk. Around 130,000 Belarusian citizens immigrated to Israel during the 1990s under the Law of Return.
The Academy of Public Administration under the aegis of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk, is a higher educational establishment in the Republic of Belarus. The Academy of Public Administration was established in 1991 and it acquired the status of a presidential institution in 1995.
Visitors to Belarus must obtain a visa from one of the Belarusian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.
Belarus–NATO relations refers to relations between the Republic of Belarus and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
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