Belarus in Focus: Society and Foreign Relations in a Dynamic Regional Landscape

  • Date: 14 March 2024, 13:15–17:00
  • Location: IRES Library, Gamla torget 3, 3rd floor
  • Type: Workshop
  • Organiser: Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies (IRES)
  • Contact person: Mattias Vesterlund


In 2020, fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus revealed a profound societal shift. Subsequently, the nation witnessed a severe response by the regime characterized by extensive political repression. This turbulent period also prompted a notable exodus of the population. To compound the situation, Russia's invasion of Ukraine further complicated matters. Belarus's territory was used as a staging ground for a portion of the aggression. As a result, Belarusians encountered negative generalizations, escalating political repressions, and a continued outflow of citizens. Moreover, the country’s relations with a number of its major partners, including its western neighbours, have deteriorated unprecedentedly.

The primary aim of this workshop is to facilitate a comprehensive and multidisciplinary academic discussion on Belarus, Belarusian society and the foreign relations, and to assess the critical junctures in their ongoing development. We will delve into several interconnected issues, namely the protests, competing ideologies, the shifts and prospects of foreign relations, with particular attention to the neighboring countries and the regional security, as well as the problems of the Belarusian diaspora.

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