Lukashenko continues chairing meetings of the “security top brass” club

On February 28, President Lukashenko held a meeting on the state border policy and border security of the Republic of Belarus in 2012. Along with the leadership of the State Border Committee, the meeting was attended by representatives from all law enforcement agencies.

Mr. Lukashenko resumed regular meetings with the security forces officials, started in spring 2011, which implies there is a conflict in the highest circles of power. The first meeting of the “security top brass” club was held after the explosion in the Minsk metro on April 11. After that, the President held meetings with the leadership of the MIA, the KGB, the Prosecutor General, the State Border Committee and other law enforcement agencies twice a month and discussed, inter alia, non-core issues with them: export regulations and labor discipline.

On February 14, the board meeting of the KGB with the President was also attended by the top brass of all law enforcement agencies.

Frequent meetings of the President with the security forces reveal the president’s desire to form one single elite “support team” and as an attempt to overcome traditional interagency conflicts within the law enforcement bodies of Belarus that threaten presidential power.