Belarus does not fear possible introduction of economic sanctions against Belarusian goods by the USA, told the Belarusian Ambassador in the USA, former Foreign Minister of Belarus Mikhail Khvastou in his interview to “Interfax”.
The work of a summer camp on human rights for Belarusian students of law has been disrupted in Belarus. The camp was organized by the Innovation Fund for Legal Technologies [IFLT] (Belarus).
The former governor of Saratov Region, Dmitriy Ayatskov, who was appointed Russia`s new ambassador to Belarus last week, believes his mission is "not diplomatic, but rather a political one".
The USA has never built equitable relations with Belarus, which makes cooperation of the two countries difficult, told the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Belarus in the USA, former head of the Foreign Ministry Mikhail Khvastou to Interfax in Minsk.
American professor terry Boesch who has been working in Belarus for two years in the Belarusian State University, is to leave Belarus before July 20. The Belarusian authorities refused to extend visa for him. Dr.Terry Boesch says that he had noticed the attention of special services to him long ago, and thinks that his expelling is politically motivated.
Property of the editor-in-chief of the leading sports newspaper Vladimir Berezhkov (Uladzimir Berazhkou) was distrained in the presence of attesting witnesses for a second time. First time it happened on March 11 in line with the ruling of the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk at the suit of finance minister Mikalay Korbut.
The summer camp dedicated to human rights for future Belarusian law students is thwarted. On July 19 Innovative Foundation of judiciary technologies planned to open a summer camp in Vileyka region. However the day before the opening the administration of the children’s camp “Nadzeja” where it had been agreed to rent premises, refused to provide place and meals.
Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili expressed confidence that Belarus is to become the next country where the revolution against authoritarian government is to burst. This idea was expressed during his visit to Italy in the interview to the local TV channel RAINEWS 24.
"I cannot say that I am dissatisfied with the results of my work as the head of the OSCE Office in Minsk," the OSCE Office head, Eberhard Heyken, told Belapan in an exclusive interview. As was reported earlier, his term in office expires on 29 July.
According to the information of Ukrainian minister of Interior Affairs, former governor of Kyiv region Anatoliy Zasukha has crossed the border of Belarus and is in Belarus now. The National Central Office of the Interpol in Ukraine announced that Zasukha is searched internationally. He appears in two criminal actions and flees from prosecution. Former governor is suspected of economic crimes, including abuse of power and forgery.
On July 15 the Information Ministry issued a warning to the editorial office of the independent newspaper “Vitsebskiy Kurjer M”. The newspaper is accused with violation of several clauses of the Law “On Press and other mass media”. The official warning was signed by the first deputy minister of infroamtion Liliya Ananych.
Human right service of Zubr movement acts since the beginning of 2001. During this time it registered more than 2000 acts of repressions against activists of the movement. Among the repressions are detentions, fines, beating, administrative arrests. Task of Zubr Human right service is to react immediately on repressions and minimize consequences of repressions in each case. All the facts are included to monitoring. The monitorig also contains data about people who committed repressions. European tour for Human rights organized by Amnesty International was over several weeks ago. Human right defenders from Belarus, Turkmenistan and Chechnya took part in it. Belarus was represented by Human right officer of Zubr Iryna Toustsik. Today she is answering questions of Zubr press-service:
The prosecutor’s office of the Tsentralny district of Minsk has not finished the examination of the complaint by Svyatlana Zavadskaya against the action of Minsk riot policeman. Radio Svaboda was informed about that by the prosecutor of the Tsentralny district of Minsk Alyakasndr Khadatovich. No other details were given by the prosecutor.
The chairman of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich, who is sentenced to two years of personal restraint for organizing demonstrations against rigged results of the parliamentary elections and referendum in the October last year, was called to the police department of his district. There his passport and military service record card were withdrawn. His fingerprints were taken, his full-face and side-face pictures made. The policemen explained to the leader of the BSDP (NH) that it is done before transporting him to the place of serving his sentence next week. Policemen still refuse to answer where the leader of the Social Democrats is going to serve sentence.
The incumbent authorities are afraid of the opposition actively consolidating before the Presidential Elections in 2006, and so undertake various measures aimed at not only criminally or administratively punishing the activists, but also vilifying the Belarusian opposition activists or just damage their activity. The end justifies the means, as they say.
Last week, Belarusian authorities gave U.S. professor Terry Boesch and his two daughters 24 hours to leave the country. Boesch, who taught business and law at Belarusian State University in Minsk since 2003, says the government did not explain its decision to deny his visa extension. But as RFE/RL reports, the professor believes his case is part of a campaign to rid Belarus of Western influence ahead of next year`s general elections.
[Presenter] Almost 3,000 dollars have been collected to pay fines for Polish journalists in Belarus. The action, organized by employees of the [public] Polish Television [TVP] regoinal centre in Lodz [central Poland] has been contributed to by very many people and institutions.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko leaves for Russia on Wednesday, on a two-day working trip. He is planning to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and visit a Russian aerospace company, the press service of the Belarusian head of state told Itar-Tass.
A Russian- Belarusian single currency will be introduced in 2006, the Russian Ambassador to Belarus said Tuesday. "We will manage to introduce a single currency in 2006, which will be a Russian ruble with a common issuing center in Russia. A constitutional act on the formation of the Russia-Belarus Union State will be our next step," Dmitry Ayatskov said.
The Interior Affairs Ministry has not allowed Ambassadors of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in Belarus to meet Belarusian political prisoner Mikhail Marynich, who is serving the term in Minsk colony, Radio Svaboda informs. The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Belarus confirmed that the penal jurisdiction department of the Interior Ministry of Belarus sent a written refusal, but denied to comment on the text of the letter. The answer of the Slovakian Embassy was the same.
The World Bank recommends that Belarus take advantage of the currently strong growth the economy is enjoying, and move forward with reforming the transition economy, Interfax reports. The economy is currently benefiting from favourable external conditions, but is vulnerable if these change. The low level of foreign reserves, significant economic dependence on Russia, notably for energy exports, the weakness of the banking sector, and the instability of the pension system all pose risks for Belarussian economic development. Indeed, the Bank foresees a clear fall in the Belarussian GDP growth rate, unless these vulnerabilities are addressed by reforms. The country should diversify the structure and widen the base of its exports, finding other sources for export revenue apart from petroleum products and mineral fertilisers.
Days of Iranian Culture officially opened in Minsk Monday night. "The fact they`ve been organized here testifies to progressively developing relations between the two countries, Abdolhamid Fekri, the Iranian ambassador to Belarus said.
Brest residents organized another action with the proposal to rename one of the streets after Vasilij Bykov. Hundreds of people were enthusiastic to support the submission of such proposal to local administration. Many people told they would be honored to live in Bykov Street and proposed to rename the street they lived in.
Lithuania has expressed its readiness to inform the Belarusian party on the development of the situation around possible construction of a ground burial place for radioactive wastes near the Belarusian state border, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Lithuania Vladimir Garkun told BelTA.
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