U.S. Assistance to Belarus

Support to Law Enforcement

Customs Training Course

A course on border interdiction was held by the U.S. Government for representatives of the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs and Customs Committee on June 14-23, 1995. Training extended to the combatting of international drug trafficking and other customs issues at all levels, and included practical exercises at border inspection points.

The training program was organized by the Office of International Affairs of the U.S. Customs Service jointly with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Customs Committee, was entirely funded by the U.S. side under the auspices of the Department of State's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Office of International Criminal Justice-administered Anti-Crime and Training and Assistance Program.

Financial Investigative Techniques Course

This course held March 7-29, 1996 and funded by the Freedom Support Act was an advanced type of the course presented in Belarus in November, 1995. Twelve members of the Tax Police from Belarus were sent by the United States Government to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, to learn advanced financial investigative techniques from members of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Department. 

Counterfeiting and Electronic Crime Seminar

This one-week seminar was conducted by the United States Secret Service in January, 1995.

Security Upgrades at Sosny Nuclear Facility

Together with experts from Belarus, Japan, and Sweden, the United States performed security upgrades at the Sosny nuclear research facility near Minsk. The U.S. focused its efforts on physical protection and had some involvement in the area of material control and accounting. Physical protection included: video detection systems, access control monitors, alarm systems, guard force communications, guard force protective vests and helmets, training, central alarm station, physical barriers (turnstiles, fence, hardened doors) and radiation detectors.

American Criminal Justice System

This three-week U.S.-based program was sponsored by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Minsk. A group of Belarusian law-enforcement officials had a productive time familiarizing themselves with the work of U.S. courts, police and penitentiary system.

Legal Reform

The Central and East European Law Initiative (CEELI) is a project of the American Bar Association aimed to promote the principles of law-abiding state by supporting legal reforms in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States. Through conferences, workshops and roundtables CEELI has been providing legal assistance and expertise to Belarus since 1992. The purpose of CEELI is not only to share the American experience but to assess the existing or new legislation and practices in the fields of judicial protection of the rights of an individual, economic insolvency, commercial law, private legal counseling, trial by jury, etc. CEELI is a co-founder of the International Law Library in Minsk, the first library of that kind in Belarus.