As a retaliatory step to the deportation of attach? of the Czech Embassy, the representative of the Belarusian Embassy is expelled. The Czech government required the attach? of the Belarusian Embassy in Prague to leave the country, the Foreign Ministry of Czech Republic informs.
Alyaksandar Lukashenka condemned the inaugural address of US President George Bush, the Interfax informs. In his speech during the meeting of the Security Council on Friday, A.Lukashenka told: “You heard the word ‘freedom’ for 27 times yesterday, and if somebody does not have one, we could come to you”. “And all of us are peacemakers. Wasn’t it the same in the end of the 30ies when they tried to come to the agreement with prominent politicians and states in secret? Doesn’t the history teach us anything?” asked Lukashenka.
The legendary “Courier from Warsaw”, a publicist and politician, for many years director of the Polish section at Radio Free Europe, Jan Nowak-Jezioranski, died on January 21, 2005 in the night. A man whose fate is inseparably connected with the fate of independent Poland, the fate of the Eastern Europe free from Communism, he died in the age of 91. He was a real model of a man who devoted the whole his life to the struggle for the independent future of his people, of his country. All his life he struggled for Freedom, and that was not a mere name for him.
In a move to display solidarity with a painter whose work was barred from an exhibition in Vitebsk, fellow artists have taken down all paintings displayed at the city’s Contemporary Art Center.
The two dismissed deputy chairmen of Belarus` Committee for State Security (KGB) and the two dismissed heads of regional KGB offices "have been placed at the disposition of the KGB chief," according to official information sources. In a major KGB reshuffle announced on January 20, Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko relieved General Anatoly Zaretsky and Colonel Nikolai Tananaiko of the posts of deputy chairmen. Colonel Pyotr Aksyuchits was dismissed as chief of the KGB Office for the Brest Region and Fyodor Starovoitov as chief of the KGB Office for Minsk and the Minsk Region.
The leader of the United Civic Party (UCP) said he expects the new leadership of the Committee for State Security (KGB) to give priority to stepping up the crackdown on Aleksandr Lukashenko’s opponents. The Belarusian leader on Thursday shook up the KGB top ranks, making a host of new appointments to the agency’s leadership.
Condoleezza Rice will focus on Russia and the CIS more than her predecessors did, Russian political scientist Vitali Tretyakov opines in the RIA Novosti interview.
Struggle for one of leaders of Belarusian opposition Mihail Marinich continues. Hundreds of leaflets with his portrait and slogan “Freedom to Marinich” appeared in different districts of Minsk. Dozens new graffiti with the same slogan appeared in several residential areas of Belarusian capital.
Yesterday in Minsk the meeting of the steering committee of the European coalition, dedicated to the preparation to the presidential elections took place. Among other matters, the question of a brand and logo had been discussed at the meeting. It has been decided to name the democratic organization the European Coalition (EC). As we have informed, before its name was the European coalition “Free Belarus”.
On Wednesday the MP of the European Parliament of Latvia Aldis Kuskis called upon recognizing Alyaksandar Lukashenka as a dictator, and Belarus – a country with a totalitarian regime. The meeting of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and Moldova took place on January 19, and a press release is to be issued. Mr.Kuskis, deputy chairman of the Commission for Affairs with Belarus, has made three proposals to the proposed plan of actions.
On 19 January 2005 the founder of Pressbol newspaper, Unitarian enterprise “Pressbol Plius” filed to the Supreme Economic Court the suit in which it asks to find the warning, issued to the newspaper by the Ministry of Information, invalid.
George W. Bush was sworn in as President of the United States of America during a ceremony in Washington yesterday. Freedom and security were the focus for the first speech of his second term of office. “All those who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you,” he said.
The Belarusian government remains undecided on who will represent the country at the inauguration of Ukraine’s President-elect Viktor Yushchenko, which is scheduled for Sunday, Andrei Savinykh, spokesman for the Belarusian foreign ministry, told reporters in Minsk on January 20.
Aleksandr Lukashenko vowed to devote close attention to the performance of the Committee for State Security (KGB) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs after signing a presidential edict on a massive reshuffle of the security agencies. The Belarusian leader voiced sharp criticism about the performance of the KGB Central Apparatus, tasking the agency’s new leadership with stepping up intelligence and counter-intelligence efforts and the work to combat organized crime and terrorism, and protect Belarus’ constitutional system, according to the presidential press office.
The Belarusian Confederation of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs has urged the government to streamline the procedure of collecting valued-added tax in trade with Russia as lingering uncertainty over new taxation rules has taken a heavy toll on bilateral trade since January 1.
Andrei Dobrokhotov, director of Beltransgaz`s Center for International Projects, informed participants at an annual session of the Working Party on Gas of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) about the present state and development prospects of the country`s gas supply network. The meeting was held in Geneva on January 18 and 19.
Authorities in Belarus have told radio stations to play home-grown music after the ex-Soviet republic`s quixotic and authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, complained that airwaves were being contaminated by foreign pop tunes displeasing to the Belarus ear.
They will replace the D-6 parachutes, which Belarus inherited from the Soviet Airborne Force. Belarus tested the new parachute systems before buying them. Belarusian specialists evaluated the characteristics of the new system. They state that this is one of the best systems produced in post-Soviet republics. The main advantage of the parachute system is that it ensures precise control over the flight. In particular, the landing site of a company of paratroopers does not exceed 10,000 square meters.
For about a week the Baranavichy State University is working without a vice-principal on educational work. The reason for a removal from office of the vice-principal Regina Ventsel and her assistant for the youth work, Ivan Kitsun in the middle of the academic year was a joke of the fifth-year students during the game of the “Club for the Lightheaded and Quick-witted” in the Belarusian National Technical University. The students had acted out an episode criticizing the Belarusian president. On return to Baranavichy the punitive measures followed. I. Kitsun was dismissed in a day, R.Ventsel and other administrative officials were reprimanded, and the students were told off. Later the vice-principal on educational work was fired as well.
A protocol outlining the priority areas of Belarusian-Lebanese cooperation was signed at the first-ever session of the two countries` economic cooperation commission that came to an end in Beirut on January 19.
The population of Belarus decreased by some 49,900 people in 2004, according to official statisticians. There were 9,799,200 people residing in Belarus as of January 1, 2005.
Belarus` Council of Ministers has set new rates of excise duty on alcoholic beverages and beer. A directive to this effect was enacted on January 20. In particular, the cabinet has raised the excise rates for fruit alcoholic beverages, natural grape wines and cheap fortified wines.
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