In a bold defiance of the stringent European sanctions imposed on Lukashenko’s regime, details have emerged of a clandestine meeting scheduled to take place between March 9 and 15, 2024, in Bludenz, Austria. This revelation, brought to light by the vigilant Belarusian security forces association BELPOL, underscores the critical challenge facing the enforcement of international sanctions. The event, organized under the auspices of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Economics in collaboration with the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, represents a glaring breach of the concerted efforts to isolate Lukashenko’s government due to its oppressive policies and active role in supporting terroristic actions of Russia.
The gathering, ostensibly for the Austrian-Belarusian Business Council, has notably evaded coverage by Belarus media outlets, perhaps indicating an awareness of the meeting’s contentious nature. Scheduled speakers include prominent figures such as Yaroshenko A.G., head of the “Administration of the Chinese-Belarusian Industrial Park ‘Great Stone'”, who will present on the investment opportunities within the park. The meeting aims to facilitate dialogue between official and business representatives from both Austria and Belarus, with discussions extending to potential park residents, including notable companies like Bertsch Holding, Rotinger, Zumtobel, and Quehenberger Logistics.
Yaroshenko’s agenda also includes visits to key Austrian enterprises and talks with representatives from Swiss firms Stadler Rail AG and Hess AG, highlighting the extensive nature of these covert efforts to court European investment.
This clandestine activity starkly illustrates the lengths to which Lukashenko’s regime will go to circumvent international sanctions, engaging in secret negotiations and attempting to secure foreign investments in the face of widespread condemnation. The involvement of European companies in these negotiations raises serious questions about the effectiveness of sanctions and the need for a more vigilant and unified approach to their enforcement.
BELPOL’s disclosure of these plans serves as a clarion call to the international community, urging immediate action to prevent European investments from bolstering a regime notorious for its human rights abuses and its complicity in the ukrainian war.
