An article under such heading in today’s “Gazeta Wyborcza” describes a two-day long international conference “Belarus, EU – today’s realities and perspectives”, which ended last Sunday in Belostok.

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Influential German periodical “Frankfurter Allgemeine” writes that roughly 80% of weapons with which Iraq fights against the US-British alliance, had been manufactured in the former USSR and post-Soviet Russia. According to their calculations, over thirty years preceding the UN-imposed embargo, Soviet Union shipped to Iraq $30bln worth of weapons, selling as many as 60 licenses for arms production, many of which remain in effect even up to date. No doubt, the Iraqi armed forces would be way weaker now, had it not been for the lethal weapons’ suppliers, operating at the Iraqi market during the past 12,5 years of embargo. Famous German journalist Markus Vener mentions Belarus among these arms exporters.

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“What do you think of an idea to present asylum in Belarus to Saddam Hussein?” – Minsk residents were asked by the “Zerkalo” pollsters from the BelaPAN news company in course of a March 28-30 poll. Most of respondents – 80% - out of 500 surveyed, aged 18 and over, said that they don’t uphold the idea. 69% claim they are categorically opposed to it, while 11% said they are more inclined not to support it.

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US ambassador in Belarus Michael Kozak paid a visit to Viktor Ivashkevich, who’s currently serving his term in an enforced labor colony for an alleged libel of the incumbent. Editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Rabochy” is living in Baranovichi colony, Brest region.

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The “house of representatives” ratified in the first reading the draft Law on assemblies, meetings, street rallies, demonstrations and picketing. “Deputies” had twice considered the draft law earlier on, but both times failed to get the necessary 50% plus one vote to have it approved. This time 73 “MPs” voted in favor of the presidential proposal and against the alternative variant, with only 5 persons voting against the law.

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Russian TV channel “Moskovia” took interest in the scandalous trial over Oksana Novikova, sentenced by the Central district court of Minsk under article 367/2 of the Republic of Belarus (libeling the incumbent). Anatoly Lebedko, acting at the trial in witness’s capacity, was invited to speak on air by the Russian channel. For this purpose the TV studio booked a studio in the Kommunisticheskaya street, 6. However, one hour prior to the start of the program, the Belarusian side all of a sudden changed its mind and refused to provide the space for Lebedko.

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Activists of the Association of Belarusians in Canada run on April 6 a demonstration of protest opposite the Russian embassy, located in the Canadian capital. Over 30 Belarusians from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa decided to uphold the independence idea of Belarus, as well as protest against the unification of Russia and Belarus. The action was held under mottos “No to a new union with Russia!”, “Belarus to Europe!”, “No U-turn to the past!”, “Euro, not ruble!”, “Long Live Belarus!” etc.

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On April 6, the day of Vice Speaker of the 13th Supreme Soviet Gennady Karpenko’s demise, the action “Chain of those who care” was held in the Oktyabrskaya square in central Minsk. A few dozen people raised the portraits of Gennady Dmitrievich, who passed away under mysterious circumstances on April 6, 1999. The riot police officers apprehended members of the United Civil Party Sergei Lapusto and Andrei Kozel, who spread out the flyers with information on Gennady Karpenko’s death.

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Leaders of entrepreneurial movement of the Republic of Belarus passed a statement concerning the detention and 15 days arrest of one of the entrepreneurial leaders Valery Levonevsky. As you know, the man was arrested for his part in the People’s March “For Better Life!”. “By their unleashed repressions the authorities once again confirmed the successfulness of the People’s March. The feared the unity of all population strata, as well as our joined, concerted and well-coordinated actions. The regime recognizes our force. Our power is in unity!”, reads the statement, signed by the chairman of the public association “Private Property” Leonid Malakhov, deputy chair of the Striking committee of entrepreneurs Alexander Vasiliev, chairman of the public association “Perspective” Anatoly Shumchenko.

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