The words of Alyaksandr Lukashenka in connection with the events in Ukraine that the number of revolutionaries in Belarus has allegedly reach the ceiling, and that “neither orange, nor rose, nor banana revolution would take place in Belarus”, were noticed by the majority of Ukrainian mass media. Radio Liberty Volodymyr Polokhalo asked Volodymyr Polokhalo, a leading researcher of the International Relations Institute of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Chief editor of the scientific magazine “Politychna Dumka” to comment on the statements of A.Lukashenka.

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The European Coalition Free Belarus ("ECFB"), a pro-democracy Belarusian opposition group that backs closer European ties, has urged the European Union institutions "to consider Ukraine as a possible candidate for future EU membership", hoping this will help promote democratic change in Belarus itself.

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According to Andrei Savinykh, the OSCE Office in Minsk testifies to the openness and readiness of the republic to cooperate with OSCE in all directions. “Some 10 projects were implemented in 2004 jointly with different Belarusian ministries despite the office’s limited financial opportunities”, the spokesman for the Belarusian foreign political department has stated.

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Aleksandr Lukashenko, by his January 6 presidential edict, suspended Leonid Glukhovsky as deputy minister of internal affairs and chief of the interior ministry`s Main Preliminary Investigations Office, as well as a police officer in connection with his election to the House of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly.

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“Zubr” activist Mikita Sasim was released with undertaking not to leave the place yesterday evening. Dozens of Zubr activists met him at the gates of police department.

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Poland`s Sejm (lower chamber of the national parliament) has passed an amendment providing that ethnic Belarusians residing in the country may use Belarusian in local public offices. As the Belarusian Service of RFE/RL reported, the amendment stipulates that local governmental agencies may use Belarusian as an "additional language" provided the Belarusian national minority accounts for 20 percent of the territorial unit`s population. An original version of the amendment set the percentage at 50 percent.

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The Belarusian government introduced multiple-entry visas for foreign tourists on 1 January, touting the step as "a good-will gesture aimed at promoting economic and cultural relations and stepping up personal contacts".

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A Belarusian-Sudanese cooperation commission on January 10 began its first-ever meeting in Minsk to discuss the implementation of agreements reached during Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir`s visit to Belarus in July 2004, said the press office of the Belarusian foreign ministry.

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Some 42 Belarusians, who were staying in the countries suffered in the result of the natural disaster in Southern-Eastern Asia, have already come back home. Some 18 Belarusians are still holidaying in that region, a correspondent of BelTA has been informed by deputy head of the information department of the foreign ministry of this republic Ruslan Esin.

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