Speaking before the "national assembly" deputies during his annual address on April 10, Alexander Lukashenko made a few remarks, concerning complaints of the world community over his Decree#8, banning humanitarian aid: "I recently passed a decision, you got that decree mailed to you, as concerns the transparency, that`s what I`d call it, of the humanitarian aid, which flows into our country. Fancy the wails of not only our domestic opposition, but, according to my information, this already became a stumbling-block ahead of the presidential elections overseas. We are again charged with dictatorship. How come you forgot, dear sirs, that you`ve been demanding transparency from us? So I made a decision to make this humanitarian aid transparent. Boy, they don`t need transparency now. They are bringing in now whole systems, beginning with election falsification networks, and when I reacted harshly to that, they started doing it this way - simply label it as "the property of the United States of America" and have it shipped to the remote provinces of our country. They believe that we`ll calmly watch this property, being used in breach of the law

---

In 1999 Belarus suffered from serious shortage of grain, its deficit being 2,6 million tons. We were desperately looking where we could purchase it. As state officials would tell is later "the Czech variant turned out to be most convenient". So we bought $60mln. worth wheat, which we borrowed again from the Czech Republic. The question is, who profited most from this deal? Now we can assert for sure - not producers, let alone us, consumers.

---

Head of the TACIS office Raul de Lusenberger believes that after the passage of a notorious decree#8 minor public and religious organizations, engaged in charity, may halt their humanitarian projects in Belarus. He said this during his April 9 visit to the Gomel region.

---

The Cabinet of Ministers of Belarus finally approved the intergovernmental Belarus-Russia agreement on Russia`s presenting a state loan to Belarus. Interestingly, the accord on donating the first part of the grant ($30mln. out of the total 100), signed in the end of last year, got ratified only now. Some say that by that time Belarus hadn`t clarified the issue of clearing off the previously assigned transfer.

---

"Lithuania will evaluate the interior situation in Belarus according to the positions of OSCE and other European structures," - declared deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Evalde Ignatavichus during his visit to Belarus.

---

Leninsky police of Brest arrested robbers, who burgled the office of the biggest in the Brest region center for civil initiatives "Vezha". January 27 the unidentified burglars stole from the "Vezha" office 6 monitors, 7 computers, scanner, fax, printer, modem, documents for technical appliances and disks.

---

Most teachers of Minsk region refused to sacrifice their daily incomes into the foundation of the so-called agricultural subbotnik, held in the region April 7 upon the initiative of the Minsk city hall in order to render financial assistance to husbandries and collective farms.

---

NATO Parliamentary Assembly doesn`t intend to invite representatives of the "national assembly" of Belarus to its May 24 Vilnius session, reports radio "Ratsya".

---

Belinichi activist Oleg Metelitsa, engaged in distribution of the illegal periodical "Popular President", was fined 5 minimum wages. 1,5 months ago during the police raid and search the law-enforcers confiscated from Metelitsa 75 copies of the paper and 300 stickers "ZUBR". The defendant pleaded not guilty and intends to appeal against the verdict in the higher court.

---

The Union of Belarusian writers addressed the Belarusian government, urging it to cease the shameful defamation campaign, unleashed by the state media against the prominent national writer, 2 World War veteran Vasil Bykov.

---

will hopefully be voiced today in course of his annual address to the "national assembly". As officially reported, the major purpose of the document is to outline the perspective of the Belarusian state and society development for the coming year, as well as summarize the outcomes of the previous year.

---

Presidium of the Republic`s council of the car-building trade union passed a decision at its April 3 session to picket the Ministry of Industry. The reason for such a decision was the continued failure of industrial state companies to fulfill their commitments, as concerns the payment of trade unions` fees. The companies` administrations` indebtedness is permanently growing and constitutes over 200 million rubles ($1=1350blr).

---

By February 1 this year the creditor`s indebtedness of the Belarusian enterprises and organizations equaled to 5trln 346,1bln rubles ($4,4 bln), including their debt before the suppliers of goods and services -4trln. 79,8bln. rubles ($3,4bln).

---

Over 35 Belarusian nationals use the services of paging companies. BELTA correspondent reports from the Ministry of communications that the services are being catered by 28 various firms. The created networks reach out to 80% of the country`s territory, inhabited by over 90% of population.

---