Belarus, since it gained its independence in 1991, has not been engaged in offensive or defensive biological warfare (BW) programs. However, under the Soviet regime, the Belarusian Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Minsk provided virulent strains to the institutes of the Soviet Ministry of Defense and developed vaccines against and diagnostic materials for microbial pathogens modified by the military. At present, the institute continues to undertake civilian research activities and is engaged in international cooperation.

Although Belarus was a Soviet republic at the time, it had a seat at the United Nations and ratified the Biological Weapons Convention in 1975. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Belarus does not have a BW program, and there is no indication that it plans to establish such a program in the future.

International Initiatives and Support Programs
In the mid-1990s, Western governments and international organizations began involving facilities and scientists that had previously participated in the Soviet BW program in cooperative projects aimed at preventing scientists from selling their expertise to terrorist groups, biosafety enhancement, and biosecurity improvement. In February 1997, the Clinton Administration de-certified Belarus under the US Defense Department's Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program due to its poor record on human rights. Belarus, therefore, is not eligible for U.S. Government-funded security related assistance due to its oppressive regime, lack of legitimate democratic institutions, and close relations with rogue states. Although the United States generally does not fund grants to Belarusian scientists, Belarus remains a member of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), but receives funds from it only for health-related projects.

Other international support programs include:

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS) Biotechnology Engagement Program (BTEP)
• Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS)
• The European Union's INCO-COPERNICUS program
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• U.K. Royal Society

Sources:
Roger Roffey, Wilhelm Unge, Jenny Clevstrom and Kristina Westerdahl, Support to Threat Reduction of the Russian Biological Weapons Legacy - Conversion, Biodefense and the Role of Biopreparat, Swedish Defense Research Agency, Umeå, April 2003.
Ministry of Health of Republic of Belarus, Belarusian Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Minsk, 1999.
U.S. Department of State, Europe and Eurasia, Report 2005, www.state.gov/documents/organizations/42251.pdf

	Updated May 2005