Valdas Adamkus has a problem. The 79-year-old president of Lithuania has been invited -- personally, persistently, even threateningly -- by Russian President Vladimir Putin to an event that he really, really doesn`t think he should attend: the May 9 celebrations in Moscow marking the 60th anniversary of the Soviet Union`s victory over Adolf Hitler. It`s a real A-list affair: President Bush, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schroeder, Silvio Berlusconi, the presidents of other former Soviet republics, and a cast of thousands.
Fifty-three percent of experts with government agencies and other state organizations regard Mikhail Marinich’s conviction as a signal prompting civil servants to seek an alternative to the current government policies, according to a poll taken by the Independent Institute for Social, Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS) in January.
Aleksandr Lukashenko, by his Thursday’s edict, approved a Belarusian-Sudanese agreement on trade, investment and scientific and technical cooperation. Signed on July 28, 2004 in Minsk, the accord defines major areas and forms of bilateral cooperation and the principles of trade and economic contacts and investment protection, according to the Belarusian leader’s press office. The document allows the countries to sign accords and pursue cooperation programs in certain areas, as well as provides for the establishment of a joint commission to address the matters.
Soim BPF – ruling body of BPF party got written warning from ministry of Justice. “Occupying living flats by regional structures of the party violates legislation of Belarus. But the party does not liquidate the violations. According to articles 32-34 of law “About political parties” Ministry of Justice pronounce written warning to Soim of BPF. Ruling body of the party must assume measures to eliminate within month,” – says the warning signed by the first depute of Minister of Justice A.S. Petrash.
Chairman of public organization “Perspectiva” Anatoli Shumchanko who serves the sentence in Minsk special prison of administrative detentions hails actions of vendors in their struggle against new value-added tax. His letter behind the bars was published in new issue of information bulletin “Kommersant”.
Belarus` Supreme Economic Court on Wednesday upheld the information ministry`s warning to the sports newspaper Pressbol. Pressbol received this second warning on January 5 for publishing in its December 21 issue Finance Minister Nikolai Korbut’s statement substantiating his libel suit against the paper without a judge’s permission.
The European Parliament`s delegation for relations with Belarus is expected to amend the European Union (EU)`s action plan to support democracy in Belarus at its meeting in Strasbourg on February 23, Aldis Kuskis of Latvia, deputy head of the delegation, told BelaPAN.
Leaflets “Freedom to Marinich!” continue appearing in towns of Belarus. Last week they were distributed in Vitebsk region. Leaflets appeared in Dokshytsy, Hlubokaye and Pastaby on railway stations, bus-stations, on central streets and near educational establishments. The same leaflets appeared in Minsk region. Residents of Marina Horka, Dziarzhinsk and Fanipal could see it on week-end. Also leaflets with “Zubr” logo and numbers of contact pager appeared this towns.
Those who suggest destroying the entire Belarusian television and making it youth-oriented, suggest destroying the country’s television in general, Aleksandr Lukashenko said while speaking at Wednesday’s government conference.
The European parliament sent an official letter to the Belarusian government urging to release former Ambassador of Belarus to Latvia Mikhail Marynich and to revise the charges against him. “Today joyful news was received, that the letter prepared by our group has been delivered to the Belarusian Embassy. It is particularly pleasant that the letter was received by the addressee on the day when Marynich’s sons visited Brussels,” told the European Parliament MP from Latvia Inese Vaidere, member of the Union “Europe of the Nations”.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted mounting Cold War-style pressure on Belarus from Western and Russian TV and radio stations, urging Belarus’ state-run electronic media to repel what he called biased coverage from abroad. “And we should be ready for this, we will have to counter any pressure alone, as we have always done,” official information sources quoted him as saying at Wednesday’s government conference.
Yury Baluyevsky, chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, arrived in Belarus on Friday on a two-day visit to direct an exercise of the Belarusian-Russian joint regional force command.
The Russian food inspectors are concerned about the food products coming to the country from Ukraine and Belarus, Head of the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection Service Sergei Dankvert stated on Wednesday, reporting to the State Duma on the situation with the country’s veterinary and phytosanitary control.
Russia does not preclude a chance of closing its sugar market for Belarus if that country does not stop illegal deliveries, said on Wednesday Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev, speaking with reporters after the “government hour” at the State Duma.
The Belarusian Ministry of Sports and Tourism has introduced compulsory certification for tourism businesses this year in an attempt to raise standards and make the market more competitive. The businesses were given until January 1, 2007 to obtain the certification from the Belarusian National Travel Agency.
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