Belarusian politicians and analysts were divided on the prospects of relations with Ukraine while commenting on Viktor Yushchenko’s recent statements. While speaking to reporters in Strasbourg earlier this week, the new Ukrainian president noted that the bilateral relationship is seriously impeded by the Belarusian authorities. "The issue of relations with Belarus is not a simple issue to me. The difficulty lies in the fact that the prospects for further development are seriously diminished by the factor of the current Belarusian authorities. This concerns not only political but also economic aspirations," Mr. Yushchenko said.

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“Zubr” activists hanged out national flag in Mahiliou. White-red-white banner appeared on the bridge above one of the most animated streets of the city. A police vehicle was driving under the bridge during the action but policemen just followed example of other drivers and sounded horn as a sign of support.

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Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga expressed skepticism about the possibility of changes in the political situation in Belarus in the near future. “It is difficult to imagine that something will soon change in Belarus,” she said in an interview with the Austrian newspaper Die Presse published by the newspaper on January 26.

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Andres Herkel of Estonia has become chairman of the Subcommittee on Belarus in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE)`s Political Affairs Committee. As Jonas Cekuolis, the former head of the subcommittee, told BelaPAN, Mr. Herkel was elected through a general vote at thhe subcommittee`s special meeting held in Strasbourg on January 25. On Wednesday, the PACE Political Affairs Committee confirmed the appointment.

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Serhiy Holovaty of Ukraine, chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said in an interview with BelaPAN that it would be premature to talk about the policy that will be conducted by new Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko regarding Belarus.

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“The Belarusian foreign ministry has information about the statements that Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko made at the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg. The ministry considers it premature to comment on the matter,” Andrei Savinykh, spokesman for the ministry, said in an interview with BelaPAN.

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Changes to the European Union (EU)`s action plan to support democracy in Belarus suggested by Aldis Kuskis of Latvia, deputy head of the European Parliament`s delegation for relations with Belarus, may be adopted in February. In particular, Mr. Kuskis called on the EU to recognize “the political regime in the country as a dictatorship” and suggested “detecting and blocking the personal accounts of high-ranking Belarusian officials.” He suggested that the EU should demand the release of all Belarusian “prisoners of conscience.”

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The Belarusian state is to take under its control what is going on with children after their adoption by foreign citizens, said Lukashenka today at the consultations regarding the draft Decree “On some measures for human trafficking prevention”. The head of state stressed that adoption of Belarusian children by foreign nationals is another channel of human trafficking. “The essence is that to minimize these processes. And it would be better if there were no such things in our country at all. Children can be adopted only with the aim of treatment, and only when we cannot heal them here,” he said.

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The leader of the opposition in Belarus, Vladimir Parfenovich, has said the country`s government has approved and is enforcing a program under which a nuclear power plant will be built in Belarus as soon as possible, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.

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In keeping with the new strategy of Belarus’ participation in the oil production in Russia, now the Belarusian side is to put emphasize on buying “small oil companies” in Russia. As the ITAR-TASS informs, the chairman of the Belarusian state concern “Belneftechim” Branislau Sivy told about it at the meeting with journalists.

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The compulsory job allocation after university graduation will be preserved in Belarus, told the Belarusian president Alyaksandar Lukashenka. He underlined that if a graduate would like to go abroad he is to give back the money hat the state had spent for his education. “The institutions of higher education are to work for the Belarusian economy,” the Belarusian president told, ITAR-TASS informs.

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Belarussian and Russian customs officials have reached mutual understanding on transit of Russian cargoes through Belarus’ territory. Head of the Belarussian Customs Committee Alexander Shpilevsky told journalists on Wednesday both sides reached full mutual understanding on transit.

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The Belarusian Ministry of Communications and Informatisation has predicted that by 2006, the number of mobile phone users in the country will exceed the number of fixed-line subscribers. By the end of 2004, the three Belarusian mobile operators, Velcom, MTS and Diallog, had together 2.45m subscribers, which is 2.2 times more than in 2003.

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The head of the National Bank of Belarus (NBB), Pyotr Prokopovich, on January 26 reported to Aleksandr Lukashenko on the implementation of Belarus` monetary policy guidelines in 2004. As the press office of the Belarusian leader said, Mr. Prokopovich delivered a detailed report on the results of the NBB`s effort to obtain the projected figures in areas that directly influenced the country’s social and economic development. Above all, according to him, the Bank ensured a stable rubel rate, providing loans to the real sector of the economy and implementing an efficient interest policy.

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