The EBU Partnership Programme has been promoting the core EBU values – universality, independence, excellence, diversity, accountability and innovation – at meetings in Belarus.

Former Vice-President Boris Bergant and EBU Head of Member Relations David Lewis highlighted the values during meetings at the Belarusian National TV and Radio Company (BTRC), with government officials, with  nongovernmental organizations and with the EU ambassador in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.

Deputy Minister of Information
Dmitry Shedko

Deputy Minister of Information Dmitry Shedko told the EBU delegation that Belarus expects to adapt its media laws to European standards, and that it was a duty of the Belarusian state to ensure that commercial interests do not override the social aim of media.

BTRC has an annual budget of c. €38 million, 80% of which comes from direct budget funding and 20% from advertising revenue. Mr Shedko said that, if it were up to him, the budget contribution to BTRC would be doubled. However, the Finance Minister had different priorities.

The EBU's Member in Belarus has cut staff by 32% to around 1,500 today from 2,270 early in 2013.  Some of the savings have been invested in a new third channel, devoted to Belarusian culture, and to increasing salaries of the remaining staff.

Until 1 July BTRC's administrative staff had the status of civil servants; now they are all employed directly by BTRC. Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh said the move was part of a major restructuring in Belarus which had cut the number of civil servants by 30% to make the country more efficient and, at the same time, to reduce government influence.  Step by step, the government wished to encourage broadcasters to become more independent.

"This country is on the move," Mr Savinykh said. "We are building a new approach."

Alexander Salamakha, First Deputy Chairman of BTRC, said his organization shares the EBU's values, and that Belarus is not as undemocratic as often perceived.

Reporters Without Borders currently places Belarus in 157th position in its World Freedom Index.

The EBU and the European Union signed a Memorandum of Understanding a year ago to strengthen public service media in the Balkan EU accession countries, and the Partnership Programme is implementing an action plan of related activities in that region.  European Commissioner Stefan Fule, who will meet EBU President Jean-Paul Philippot and Director General Ingrid Deltenre on 30 August, has expressed the hope that EU-EBU cooperation can be extended to the EU Neighbourhood countries, including Belarus.