Alexander Lukashenko’s last letter to his Russian colleague, as well as “Gasprom’s” categorical refusal to sell gas to the neighboring state at Russia’s internal prices, can signify only one thing: the union state of Belarus and Russia died unborn. Last Tuesday Alexander Lukashenko told Vladimir Putin that on January 1, 2005 the Russian ruble can’t be launched into circulation on the territory of the two states. Both sides rest assured that the disagreement between them can’t be resolved.

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A few days ago we pleaded with you for help. We are extremely grateful to all, who heard our call. However, our action provoked numerous questions. We are ready to answer all the questions, which you may pose at our special forum and those, sent within the next five days (up until September 9) to the e-mail address help@charter97.org

Best regards, www.charter`97.org staff

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The direction of Rechitsa polygraph company “Titul” in writing warned the staff members of the independent Svetlogorsk-based newspaper “Region-Vesti”, that it would cease the newspaper’s publishing starting from Sunday, September 14.

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“Among 38 secondary schools of Grodno there’s not a single Belarusian-language one. “What Russian guns couldn’t do, will be accomplished by Russian schools,” – used to say the Russian official, general-governor Muraviev the Hangman, when annihilating the culture of Belarus. Same is also true about “our” today’s statesmen.” The flyers of such content were scattered over the first few days of the new academic year near the state educational institutions of Grodno.

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The trial hearings on the liquidation of the public organization “Legal Aid to Population” will start at 10a.m. on September 5 in the Minsk city court.

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The civil association “Ratusha” filed a petition to the Supreme Court of Belarus against the verdict of the Grodno regional court, which ruled to liquidate the Grodno regional civil association “Ratusha” for using and storing a printing machine without a concomitant license for rendering polygraph services. The liquidation motion had been initiated by the regional justice department.

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Yesterday the chairman of “Gasprom’s” board Aleksei Miller forwarded to the director general of the Belarusian gas transportation concern “Beltransgas” Petr Petukh a letter, in which he stated his refusal to set up a joint venture between “Gasprom” and “Beltransgas”, adding that “Gasprom” will no longer sell gas to Belarus at the internal Russia’s prices. The start of the “gas war” between the countries couldn’t have occurred without the Kremlin’s permit. Apparently, “Gasprom’s” actions should be regarded as the Russian leadership’s response to Alexander Lukashenko’s missive to Vladimir Putin, which reads that Russian ruble can’t be launched into circulation as the only legitimate means of payment in Belarus on January 1, 2005.

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