The European Union once again reiterates their call on the Belarusian authorities to pass all necessary measures to create favorable conditions for the work of the new OSCE office, headquartered in Minsk, reads the EU official statement, circulated by the German embassy in Minsk on March 5.

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“While it is not too late, we should comply with the democratic standards, proclaimed by the Constitution 1994, repent and bring to justice those, guilty of abducting prominent politicians, and by so doing redeem the evil, which the regime committed during referendum 1996,” – said in an interview to Charter’s press-center 13th Supreme Soviet deputy, one of the United Civil Party leaders, former political prisoner Andrei Klimov.

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The official visit of the Belarusian “parliamentary” delegation to Libya ended yesterday. On Wednesday evening the delegation of the “national assembly”, chaired by the speaker of the “house of representatives” Vadim Popov, arrived in Minsk. A two-day visit of the Belarusian parliamentarians to Libya was carried out upon invitation of the secretary of the Universal People’s Congress of Libya Az-Zenati Muhammad Az-Zenati.

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“I don’t really understand how the “parliament’s” acceptance to OSCE PA can change the situation with human rights in the country for the better, especially as concerns disappearances of prominent figures. Do you really think that such OSCE PA’s decision will make the authorities allow the international commission on disappearances to freely operate here? Will the European parliamentarians be allowed to listen to general prosecutor Viktor Sheiman’s testimony on this matter? Will the detectives interrogate Lukashenko and other top officials? I think not. So I don’t really believe that the situation can change for the better with this,” – said in an interview to the UCP press-service wife of the missing businessman Anatoly Krasovsky Irina Krasovskaya.

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A group of Belarusian journalists will travel on March 7 to Iraq, where they will stay till March 12 upon the invitation of the Iraqi embassy. The group’s composition, as “Interfax” was told in the Iraqi diplomatic mission in Minsk, hasn’t been defined yet and varies from 2 to 6 delegates. There’s no concrete data on the air company, which will organize the tour. However, the UN Committee for sanctions, reports “Interfax”, gave green light to the travelers. Expectedly, on the way back the plane will pick up all Belarusian residents, willing to depart Iraq ahead of the looming war. According to the Foreign Ministry, at the moment there are 2 Belarusian diplomats in the embassy, 7 individuals work under Belarusian contracts there and around 40 – under Russian.

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In order to confront the threat of complete annihilation, Belarusian mass media must join their efforts, said in an interview to Charter’s press-center the editor of the closed newspaper “Pagonya” Nikolai Markevich, sentenced to 1,5 years of freedom restriction for alleged libeling the incumbent. “The latest situation developments manifest that the authorities can deal with the whole Belarusian independent press one by one. Consolidation and solidarity alone can save situation,” – deems the journalist, whose sentence was changed for the softer on March 4. The remaining time he will work in his home-town Grodno and donate 15% of his salary to the state.

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The official delegation, headed by the Baghdad mayor, Adnan Abed Khamed, which is on an official visit to Minsk these days, will visit tomorrow the “Belkommunmash” company. Then they will pay visit to the Great Patriotic War museum and “Belexepo” exhibition, BELTA correspondent was told in the department of protocol and international and public relations of the Minsk city hall.

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Another meeting between the Premiers of Russia and Belarus Mikhail Kasyanov and Gennady Novitsky will be dedicated to the formation of the common economic space and the unique emission center of the union currency. It turns out that Minsk and Moscow have to go long way till they reach any of these goals.

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