Belarus-Ukraine Expert Dialogue: Shaping the Future of Bilateral Relations

The project “Belarus-Ukraine Expert Dialogue: Shaping the Future of Bilateral Relations” has been orchestrated through the concerted efforts of the Belarusian expert network "Nashe Mneniye" and the Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism", with support from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Our primary goal was to foster greater mutual understanding between the Ukrainian and the Belarusian civil society through the facilitation of expert dialogues.

In a time when high-level political engagements have proven elusive, the imperative for expert dialogue becomes all the more evident. This platform served as a crucial instrument to mitigate public misconceptions and offer a comprehensive analysis of the prevailing circumstances to our respective societies.

The findings derived from these dialogues not only encompassed expert assessments but also provided valuable recommendations for democratic minded policy-makers, as well as our colleagues within the expert and media communities from both countries.

Throughout the latter part of 2022, we convened four thematic discussions dedicated to the most pivotal facets of the bilateral relationship between Ukraine and Belarus. These panels encompassed discussions on human rights, public opinion, Belarus's role in the Russian’s war against Ukraine, and developments in the realms of trade and energy. The outcomes of these discussions have been meticulously distilled into the Policy Brief, which was poised to serve as a valuable resource for all stakeholders and was presented in June 2023 to broader public.

It is important to highlight that these discussions adhered to the principles of the Chatham House Rule, which mandated anonymity when quoting speakers. Furthermore, we ensured equal representation from both Ukrainian and Belarusian experts, and we remained committed to fostering gender parity amongst our participants.

The full Policy Brief is accessible in Russian language for download via the following link: http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/belarus/20366.pdf