150 delegates from all regions of Belarus have taken part in the forum “Entrepreneurs in the name of future” in Minsk on November 20. Belarusian entrepreneurs are worried by their working conditions, which are stiffening, and they are set to stage a meeting on November 27.

---

The directorate of the bus depot No.1 of Homel has not prolonged the contract with the head of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Radio electronic industry, a member of the Belarusian Popular Front party Andrei Baranau. A deputy director of the bus depot on ideology and cadres Irah Ignatsenka stated that as far as A. Baranau is a member of an independent trade union, he cannot work at the enterprise.

---

Today night a barbaric act against the church “Salvation” (Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith) in Baranavichy has taken place. The unknown have written “Do not trust sects” in black paint; a sign of 5 to 2.5 meters at the crossing of Telman and Pyarshukevich streets has been bombarded with stones and empty bottles by them. It was written “Salvation church”, its address and phone number at the sign.

---

On November 20, at 9.30 p.m., a white-red-white flag emerged over the top of Yakub Kolas National Academic Theatre. Journalists saw it in an hour. Numerous Vitsebsk dwellers could see it as well, as the building of her theatre is situated in the center of the city, near Kirov Square, with its busy traffic even in the night.

---

Today the leadership of the EU has announced a document stating the advantages the EU could offer to Belarus in case Belarus would embark on the path of democratization and respect of human rights and rule of law. Te document is to be passed to Belarusian government today both in Minsk and in Brussels. The full text of the document follows.

---

The issue of stripping Belarus of trade preferences in the framework of the Generalized System of Preferences was discussed at the session of the Preference Committee of the European Union on November 17. As www.praca-by.inro reports, representatives of the countries having a supermajority have supported the proposal of the European Commission to suspend trade preferences for Belarus, which government violates trade unions rights in the country.

---

An activist of the Union of Poles in Belarus Stanislaw Poczobutt was placed to a hospital two days ago. He was transported from a temporary detention facility of Kastrychnitski district police department for a medical check-up, Radio Svaboda informs. “On the third day of detention his blood pressure grew high. He was put in to hospital on initiative of policemen. I think that after Kazulin’s hunger strike policemen are afraid of hunger strikes, including ones in temporary detention facilities,” the Charter’97 press center was informed by the brother of the prisoner Andrzej Poczobutt.

---

There is less and less information about the former candidate for presidency in Belarus Alyaksandr Kazulin, who had gone on a hunger strike in Vitsebsk colony. As the wife of the political prisoner Iryna Kazulina has been informed today by an acting director of the colony Ruslan Ptyjmak, the state of health of the prisoner is “satisfactory”. As said by the director of the colony, the former candidate weights 73 kg, his blood pressure is 90/60.

---

Two political prisoners, a former deputy, the leader of he parliamentary group “Respublika” Syarhei Skrabets, and the leader of he civil campaign on elections observation Mikalay Astrejka, were released recently. Syarhei Skrabets was amnestied after half a year of imprisonment in Vitsebsk correctional labour colony. After 9 months of detention in Shklou medium-security colony Mikalay Astrejka was given a right for mitigation of sentence, and he serves a term of correctional labour now. However, release of the two political prisoners does not mean that the Belarusian regime had heard the demands of the international community. The Young Front leader Zmitser Dashkevich was sentenced to a year and a half of imprisonment recently. In total there are 12 political prisoners in Belarus today.

---

The Administrative Council of the International Labour Organization has considered measures which could be taken by Belarusian government for following recommendations of the ILO Investigation Commission issued in 2004. At the 297th session of the Administrative Council held in Geneva on November 2-17, it has been decided to place the Belarusian question on the agenda of the next session of the highest ILO leading body. This decision, according to www.praca-by.info, was possible after negotiations of representatives of the Belarusian government and the ILO in October, when information about following several recommendations had been provided.

---

A substantial delegation of Cube is arriving to Minsk today, STV channel informs. It is to take part in the session of the inter-governmental Belarusian-Cuban joint commission on trade and economic cooperation. The agenda includes issues of cooperation in he framework of the two countries’ ministries, financial and bank cooperation, establishing immediate contacts with Belarusian exporters.

---

In Polatsk investigation officers of law-enforcing agencies from 11 states are to exchange experience in detecting criminals and missing persons, and to set guidelines for cooperation. BELTA reporter has been informed about that by the department of information and public relations of the Interior Affairs Department of Vitsebsk city executive committee.

---

A well-known financier George Soros has stated that Putin’s government uses energy resources for revival of the world leadership of Russia and buying over dictators in the neighbouring countries. It is obvious that the matter concerns the “last dictator in Europe” Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the Financial Times writes. Another British newspaper, “the Independent”, forecasts that even this winter the Europeans would face problems with gas supplies, which is connected to insufficient investment of Russia to the energy sector for many years.

---