ABSTRACT
Belarus’s international standing has been the subject of fierce political debate – increasingly so at the end of the first decade of its independent existence. The Belarusian leadership’s persistent intention to integrate with Russia, along with cultural, demographic and environmental factors and economic concerns, has even led to the question of whether Belarus can survive as an independent nation.1 Authoritarian tendencies in the country and the worsening human rights record2 have caused growing international concern, and questions have arisen about the sources of Belarus’s foreign policy. Is the pursuit of integration with Russia really driven by a popular aspiration? What inhibits the development of closer and more co-operative links with other neighbours and the West? And what can international organisations do to facilitate the democratic process and economic reforms in Belarus?
