Deputies of the Ukrainian Supreme Rada assume that investigation into the circumstances of death of the Ukrainian journalist Mikhail Kolomiyts is moving “slowly and ineffectively”. As said today at the parliament’s session by deputy Nikolai Tomenko, the joint Ukrainian-Belarusian expert group, formed in order to hold medical expertise of the late journalist’s body, haven’t commenced to do that yet.

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November 27 Minsk will be visited by the EU delegates: MEPs Yan Wiersma, Elizabeth Schroedter and Robert Goodwill. As said at their meeting by Mr.Wiersma, the goal of the visit is to get full information about the processes, which are underway in Belarus, reports BelaPAN. In particular, he said, the delegation members are interested in the situation with press, human rights, freedoms, political activism after the presidential elections, as well as the situation in the “national assembly” of Belarus.

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Only 9% of the Minsk residents assume that travel ban, imposed on Lukashenko and seven other officials by 14 EU member-states, is targeted “at the Belarusian nation”. 36% respondents believe that the measure targets personally Lukashenko and his crew. These are the results of the survey, conducted on November 21-25 by the “Zerkalo” sociological service of BelaPAN among 500 Minskers, aged 18 and over.

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43% of “Echo of Moscow” listeners believe that Russia must follow an example, set by the EU and USA and impose travel ban on Alexander Lukashenko to its territory. 57% keep to an opposite thinking. Express-poll was conducted on November 27 through interactive phones. In course of five minutes the opinion was shared by 4,566 people.

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Lukashenko again wants to merge with Moscow, for the West still overlooks him. He wasn’t granted a visa in order to visit the NATO’s summit in Prague. 14 EU member-states and USA proclaimed him “persona-non-grata”. Europe’s last dictator Alexander Lukashenko gets into a greater isolation. So it is quite logical that he again turns to his old partner in the East. Yesterday Lukashenko met in Moscow with the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

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Recently the leader of the Union of right-wing forces (SPS) Boris Nemtsov spoke in favor of coining the common currency with Belarus. In an interview to “Interfax”, the Russian politician said the following: “Introduction of the common currency with Belarus will help remove Lukashenko from the political scene.”

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“Lukashenko and Kremlin had different expectations of the upcoming visit. Putin was carrying out what we call “reconnaissance in force”. After a gas row, he simply wanted to know the viewpoints of all players in the Belarusian political field. Lukashenko, in his turn, sought to win time in order to impose on Moscow his own integration variant and convince Putin not to turn down the idea of signing a constitutional act and holding referendum. He attempted to show that they can reach an accord with Putin,” – commented Romanchuk on the recent visit of Lukashenko and Putin.

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“Inviting Lukashenko to Moscow is Russia’s successful step, prompted by Lukashenko’s isolation in the West, That will help tie him even more to the Russian politics,” – deems one of the leaders of the Belarusian Popular Front Yuri Khodyko. As you remember, Lukashenko’s visit to Moscow took place yesterday on November 27.

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“Alexander Lukashenko’s visit to Moscow can be regarded as summons. Clear enough, Putin’s previous ultimatum was aimed at taming Lukashenko. Lukashenko’s behavior in Moscow, his commentary on Putin’s words and even exterior behavior all testify that he is dependent and subdued,” – commented on the Belarusian leader’s recent visit to Moscow in an interview to the Charter’97 press-center deputy chairman of the United Social-Democratic Party of Belarus Aleksei Korol.

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As is known, on Wednesday there took place negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, initiated by the Russian president. The main theme of their meeting was economic cooperation between two countries and the future of the union state. NTV correspondent Alexander Kolpakov interviewed the Belarusian leader shortly before his flight home.

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Belarus saw a closure of another independent newspaper “Mestonye Vremya” (Local Time). Yesterday the editorial board of the newspaper, which saw light a few weeks ago, received a written notification about the edition’s liquidation. According to the newspaper’s editor Anatoly Gulaev, their registration was annulled because the owners published the wrong legal address. The journalists called this step another blow at the free mass media.

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As you remember, a conflict, between the leaders of the two states was quite serious. Many bear in memory Putin’s notorious words about “flies and cutlets” and indignant Lukashenko’s statement that even Stalin never dared treat Belarus the way Putin did. Then the head of Russia proposed to split the country into a few parts and attach them to the Russian Federation. Then there followed another row over Russian gas supplies and West’s blockade. We contacted Charter’97 coordinator Dmitry Bondarenko with a request to comment on the Belarusian leader’s yesterday’s visit.

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The Belarusian side doesn’t agree with a $210mln price, proposed by “Sibneft” for 10,83% of shares of the state petroleum company “Slavneft”, which belongs to Belarus, said deputy Minister of economy of Belarus Oleg Melnikov. According to him, the most admissible price will start from $250mln, but “the more they pay the better”. Melnikov ruled out a possibility that some other company except “Slavneftebank”, acting on behalf of “Sibneft”, will engage in the bidding, for the deadline for submitting application expired on November 20, 2002. Now it is only the price that can change. As noted by the deputy Minister of economy, they may well negotiate with “Sibneft” on a bigger price.

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