Parallel to the jubilee CIS summit, Norwegian capital Oslo held another international meeting, which may drastically impact the further relations between Belarus and Scandinavian states. In the aftermath of the presidential elections many international organizations are once again thinking over the format of their relations with Belarus. Scandinavians attempt to work out their own tactics in relation to our country. The conference, held by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Institute of foreign relations of Norway, was run under slogan “Belarus: what’s now?”. Belarus was represented there by the Charter’97 international coordinator, former deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Sannikov, chair of the “Vesna” human rights center Ales Belyatsky, BAJ president Janna Litvina, one of BPF leaders Lyavon Borschevsky and former presidential candidate Syamon Domash. Remarkably, the Belarusian ambassador in Norway never showed up at the meeting despite invitation. Even more stunning was the absence at the conference of Lukashenko’s former friend German ambassador Mr.Winkelmann.
A successor of Hans-Georg Wieck, the head of the Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus, will be named at the Session of the Ministers of the Foreign Affairs of the OSCE member countries opened on December 3 in Bucharest. It will continue for two days under the rule of the OSCE chairman in office, Minister of the Foreign Affairs Mirce Geoana.
On Thursday overnight only eight volunteers were left in Kurapaty: activists of ZUBR resistance movement, Belarusian Freedom Party members and Young Social-Democrats. On Friday builders laid drainpipes, and volunteers’ victory was that they made to turn pipes into the direction of the Tsna River, and not in Kurapaty direction.
Somehow our television missed the main event that took place during Lukashenko’s recent visit to Moscow. Belarusian president paid a visit to the office of the petroleum company “Lukoil”, where they made an offer, which is too attractive to be turned down.
Supreme Court judge Anna Sokolovskaya ruled to liquidate the public organization Youth Information Center, thus satisfying the Justice Ministry’s request. In course of the last year the Ministry thrice reprimanded the Youth Center: first – for violating residence rules by the Center’s guest Czech national Mikhal Plavits, second – for inaccuracies in filling out the documentation. After that the Ministry initiated proceedings on the organization’s shutdown.
45-year old deputy chair of the Belarusian national TV company Vashkevich passed away today. As you remember, previous head of the BT Valery Skvortsov died overnight September 5-6. According to the preliminary information, Vashkevich died in hospital from a heart attack.
On the way from Grodno to Poland there turned over last night a “Neoplan” bus with 25 travelers on board, said today the sources from the Ministry of emergency situations. According to preliminary data, 17 passengers were injured, 12 of them being hospitalized with bad traumas.
A structural subdivision of the World Bank Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) is not ready yet to insure foreign investors against risks in Belarus, vice-president of MIGA Angus Scrimgeour declared at a press conference in Minsk. According to him, only implementation of reforms in the sphere of property rights, prices formation and taxation by the Belarusian government could enable the agency to join the process of foreign investments’ attraction into the country.
Executive director of the International League for Human Rights Cathy Fitzpatrick raised serious concerns over the clampdown on the Belarusian Student Association. Following you may find the full text of her letter to president Lukashenko concerning this matter:
Constituent assembly of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party was held in Minsk on December 2. The meeting attracted 129 delegates – BSDP (NG) members – representing 35 local organizations, who determined to leave the party, headed by Nikolai Statkevich, and form a new political organization on the basis of the long-existing faction “For unity”. The reason for that move was the mistakes of the BSDP (NG) board and their autocratic rule.
“BG” managed to get a copy of the project on restructuring the “Belneftehim” petroleum concern. Up until present the document was considered strictly confidential and never appeared in press. Its brief description dates back to 2000, but it lost none of its poignancy, for today they are intensively debating on versatile variants of attracting investments into the oil chemistry and repartition of property with the involvement of Russian capital.
Gomel regional court opened consideration of the case of deputy director general for commerce of the Svetlogorsk “Himvolokno” industrial enterprise Valery Nadezhdin on November 20. Two months ago the Gomel economic police together with the Department for heavy economic crimes of Svetlogorsk arrested another 4 people on suspicions of large-scale theft. Two of the detainees held ruling posts in “Himvolokno”. At present they analyze the case of the head of the foreign market relations section Sergei Sologukha and his assistant Vladimir Elistratov. Alongside with them, police holds accountable for the same reasons Pavel Lopatin and Yuri Shilets, the former being a young man with a secondary education, the latter being a computer specialist. Knowing that deputy director Nadezhdin and recently arrested plant’s staffers had been working in one team for the last decade, we may well assume that their criminal cases are somehow interrelated. “BG” launched its own investigation into the matter.
Former director general of the Minsk refrigerator company “Atlant” Leonid Kalugin is now facing official charges. Kalugin is suspected of violating a few articles of the Criminal Law: 424/3 (abuse of authority – punished by the deprivation of freedom for up to 8 years with or without property confiscation); 225 (failure to return hard currency from abroad – fine, 4 years of freedom restriction or 8-year imprisonment); 233/2 (illicit entrepreneurial activities – freedom restriction for up to 5 years or 2-5 year imprisonment).
From December 1 a minimal wage in Belarus will make 10,000 roubles ($6.49 according to the official exchange rate) – a one third more than the previous one (7.500 roubles). But while generosity and care about citizens are declared to be reasons of the minimal salary rise -- up to insignificant 7 dollars, the state is indebted 41916.7 million roubles to them, not have been paying salaries in time for months. The sum of the indebtedness is equal to 8965.9 million roubles in the Homel region, 7379.5 million roubles in Hrodna region, 6853.9 million roubles in Mahilyou region, 6804.6 million roubles in Vitsebsk region, 6481.9 million roubles in Minsk region, 5241.6 million roubles in Brest region and 189.3 million roubles in the city of Minsk.
The National Bank of Belarus has nothing to do with the program, currently under consideration, on binding population’s cash, BelaPAN quotes head of the information department of the NB Anatoly Drozdov as saying. Drozdov notes that the intentions to forbid any direct purchases, worth over $200, have nothing to do with the National Bank. Moreover, the country’s leading bank doesn’t support such ideas. The Bank authorities claim that no administrative measures can be applied in the issue of transferring the citizens’ transactions into the bank payment sphere. “This shouldn’t be done administratively. We got to motivate people into using cashless system of payment rather than force them,” – underscored Drozdov.
Secretary general of the International confederation of free trade unions Bill Jordan called Belarus one of the countries, which violates workers’ rights. Speaking at the 4th session of the Federation of free trade unions of Russia, hosted last week in Moscow, Bill Jordan said that the protection of workers’ rights is one of the ICFTU’s most important issues. He added that the Russian federation fully shares this view. For instance, he said, Russians upheld the International confederation’s campaign in Columbia, where 130 trade unionists had been massacred, in Burma, where the ruling junta imposes slavery and Belarus, which falls short of meeting ICFTU’s requirements.
The Consultative council of opposition political parties announced the names of those, who will represent their interests in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly: leader of the United Civil Party Anatoly Lebedko, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Narodnaya Gromada) Vladimir Nistouk and deputy chair of the Belarusian women’s party “Nadzeya” Natalya Khrustaleva.
Belarusian pensioners are not in the least the most poor population stratum, declared the mission of the World Bank, which finished today its study of the situation in Minsk. Head of the mission Galina Sotirova said at the final press-conference that “WB’s findings came out a surprise for the Belarusian government”. It’s hard to judge whether this “aberration” was sincere or fake, but for the recent few years it had brought about numerous political dividends for the Belarusian government. The policy of multiple social privileges, established for the Belarusian pensioners, played a decisive role at the last presidential elections. These people, according to the polls’ data, ensured Lukashenko’s victory in the ballot. WB’s mission spoke in favor of the reformation of the social protection system in Belarus. According to both sides, the authorities will move from the practice of universal privileges to a more personal social protection of population. To do this the World Bank provides Belarus with a $386thsd grant.
Russian government will provide Belarus in 2001-2002 with a state loan, worth $70mln, reports the department of state information. The concomitant ruling was signed on November 30 by Russia’s Premier Mikhail Kasyanov. The loan will be earmarked to balance the payments in mutual transactions between Russia and Belarus. To receive the loan Belarus is obliged to clear off its indebtedness for previous donations and pay interest on them.
About three million cases of administrative punishment were registered in 2001. But such a colossal quantity, according to the Minister of the Interior Uladzimir Navumau, does not reflect the actual situation in the country.
An inspection of the financial and business activities of the Homel enterprise Beltorg was made. As BELTA correspondent was informed by the Republican Financial Control Department, this enterprise sold different products without special permission for wholesale trade, and received an enormous income. A criminal case was brought up on charges related to article 233 part 2 of the Criminal Code.
953 actions were brought up against juridical entities for failing to pay for the energy consume in the ten months of 2001. The total sum of the suit is more than 60 million roubles. As the head of the Belenergo concern’s sales department Ina Potupchyk informed BELTA, 759 suits for the sum more than 35,6 billion roubles were accepted. But the of the insolvency of the clients has not allowed to exact the whole sum.
The supply on living quarters in the capital fell by 16,2% this week. The demand shortened by 5,7%. BELTA was told by the president of the public association “Belarusian evaluation society” Nikolai Trifonov, in charge of the research, that they witness a general weekly ten-dollar rise on the apartment market, which occurs due to the growth in number of many-room apartments. Slightly grew in price singles, while the doubles and three-room ones stayed pretty much on the same level as last week. The specialist underscored that the supply fell to the level, where it was a fortnight ago, while the demand is constantly decreasing.
Leadership of the research institute “Vector” intends to form an interstate radio-electronic holding on the basis of its industrial complex. The initiative will attract “Zenith” Mogilev plant and “Radioman” Minsk institute. The draft proposal on the issue and justification letter were forwarded to the government of the Russian Federation.
November 30 one section of the Torzhok-Ivatsevichi-Dolina-Dashova-Minsk gas pipe had to be put out of operation for a while, the reason being a 800 millimeter hole under a pipeline, discovered by the Golitsa villager, who reported of the incident to the department of emergency situations. The group of experts, who shortly arrived at there, found a small drilled hole in the pipe one meter below the surface. At the moment we don’t know the reasons, which motivated the evildoers to damage the pipeline.
According to the Russian market research, in 1999 on the territory of Belarus they sold 5 millions deciliters of Russian beer, whereas in 2000 this figure rose to 9,5 million. At the same time, according to the State Customs Committee of Belarus, last year Russians officially exported to Belarus not more than 400 thousand deciliters.
Beginning with January 1, 2002 the embassy of France in Minsk will act of behalf of the interests of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway, when it comes to granting travelers entry visas. Therefore, from January 1, 2002 Belarusian nationals, willing to visit Iceland or Norway, will be able to get their visas through the consulate service of the French embassy.
Apex of flu epidemics will happen in Minsk region in January, BELTA correspondent was told by Tamara Zaikina, head of the contagious diseases department of the Minsk regional center of hygiene and healthcare.
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