On August 14 Vladimir Putin declared in Moscow that he would like to see Belarus as one of Russia’s constituent provinces in the near future. His administration has already elaborated the stages of engulfing Belarus. As never before Moscow is now manifesting her imperial ambitions, masquerading them behind “the nations’ will to unite”. Alexander Lukashenko, in his part, went too far in his flirtations with the eastern neighbor – he simply put Belarus on the edge of extinction.

---

“The Belarusian nation won’t tolerate the country’s disappearance from the world’s map,” – BelaPAN was told by the chair of the Commission for international affairs and national security of the upper house of the Belarusian parliament Nikolai Cherginets, commenting on Vladimir Putin’s variant of forming the single state. Putin’s proposal on making Belarus part of Russia was called by Cherginets inadmissible and not smart enough.

---

Alexander Lukashenko declared that the variants of further union state development, proposed by Vladimir Putin, aren’t final and coordinated enough, reports “Interfax”. According to Lukashenko, they only mean models, which require an all-round consideration. As noted by the Belarusian president, “we haven’t sufficiently made use of the possibilities of the existing union treaty. In the next two-three years we will work hard in the direction.” Therefore, upon his return from Moscow Lukashenko made it clear that he will not yield to Putin’s proposal on Belarus’ inclusion into Russia by 2004. Moreover, the Belarusian side can’t accept joining Russia as seven federative entities. Lukashenko is convinced that Belarusians won’t uphold such an idea:

---

On August 15, at 9.30a.m. the Committee for criminal affairs of the Grodno regional court will start consideration of the petition against the verdict of the Leninsky district court of Grodno judge Tatyana Klimova concerning the editor of the now-defunct newspaper “Pagonya” Nikolai Markevich and its journalist Pavel Mozheiko. As you know, they received 2,5 and 2 years of freedom restriction accordingly for an alleged insult of the president’s honor and dignity.

---

Volumes of operation of the Russian RTR, NTV and “Culture” channels on the territory of Belarus haven’t been restored, despite the recently voiced statements on the cancellation of the BT decision to curtail the air-time of the Russian TV programs.

---

According to the Ministry of economy, the volume of accumulated investments this year reached $3,6bln, out of which 2,2bln fall on the foreign loans, received under the state guarantees and $1,4bln – on direct investments. The foreign capital is still not enough to develop and stabilize the economy, while the Belarusian investment environment is evaluated by the foreign experts as unfavorable, reports BelaPAN. The statesmen do their best but still fail to direct the capital flow into the country.

---

Presentation of tax declaration is a necessary obligation of every Belarusian citizen, famous tennis player Maksim Mirny included, said at the August 14 press-conference in Minsk deputy Minister of taxation Alexander Doroshenko, commenting on the conflict situation, which sprang up between the tennis player and tax inspection.

---