Russia is going to develop military and technical cooperation with Belarus. That was declared by Commander in Chief of the Military Air Forces of the Russian Federation General of the Army Vladimir Mikhailov at his meeting with military attaches of foreign states in Moscow on Tuesday.

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A young leader Artur Finkevich has been interrogated in the KGB department of Mahilyou region in the framework of a criminal case initiated under Article 193 Part 1 of the Criminal Code (activities on behalf on an unregistered organization). The activist was forced to sign a written undertaking not to reveal information on the case.

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Sugar production has been stopped at all four sugar refineries of Belarus, in Zhabinka, Haradzeya, Slutsk and Skidel. Today the Belarusian delegation headed by vice Prime Minister Ivan Bambiza departed to Moscow to sign an agreement on Belarusian sugar deliveries to the Russian market in 2007 – 2008.

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General secretary of the Christian Democratic Union (a ruling party in Germany) Ronald Pofalla is certain that the issue of decreasing the cost of entry visas for Belarusians will be positively solved in the German Bundestag .In his letter to leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich the General Secretary of the CDU reported that the Belarusian visa issue was under discussion in the fraction of the CDU/CSU in Bundestag.

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A single regional air defense system which is due to be set up between Russia and Belarus in the near future will serve an example for developing similar systems all over the post-soviet area, Commander in Chief of the Military Air Forces of the Russian Federation General of the Army Vladimir Mikhailov declared.

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Embassy of Venezuela is open in Minsk. This was reported by temporal charge d’affaires of the Bolivar Republic of Venezuela in Belarus Americo Dias Nunies to the BelTA correspondent.

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In 30 cities of the world on March 18-19 overnight an action is to take place at the same time. They are to mark the day when dozens thousands of Belarusians rallied on Kalinouski Square protesting against rigged presidential election results. Its organiser is JEF (Young European Federalists). The action is confirmed in Paris, Bordeaux, Berlin, Geneva, Chemnitz, Freiburg, Vilnius, Lund, Stockholm, Brussels, Porto, Lisbon, Riga, Bucharest, Ljubljana, Arhus, Bern, Helsinki, Dublin, Montenegro, Nancy and Boston (US), but it is expected in many more places.

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On March 12 a young activist Alyaksei Yanusheuski was told in the prosecutor’s office of the Republic of Belarus that like an opposition activist Nasta Palazhanka, he is a suspect in the case initiated on charges relating Article 193 part 1 of the Criminal Code, “activities on behalf of an unregistered organization”.

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Lukashenka likes to speculate on the necessity of foundation of a union state with Russia. Though practically he does nothing in this respect. Since the beginning of this year the issue has been cleared up. Belarus will buy gas at the lowest price in comparison with the Russian gas prices for other neighboring countries (USD100 per 1000 cubic meter). But for this it is due to transfer 50 % share of the “Beltransgaz” company to Gazprom during 4 years. With regard of 100% of the Belarusian part of the Yamal –Europe gas pipeline belonging to Gazprom it means that the Russian- Belarusian partnership in the gas sphere will remain despite of the personality of head of the Belarusian state, reports the Nezavisinaya Gazeta today.

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Alyaksandr Lukashenka spends his traditional week-long holiday in the end of winter at Belarusian ski resort in Sochi. Alyaksandr Lukashenka stays in a hotel with 30 double rooms with a sports and workout room. Singers Iryna Darafeeva, Janet, Shir and Belarusian sportsmen are living with him.

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Activists of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee from Hrodna region initiated an action “Congratulate political prisoner with Freedom Day”. As Radio Svaboda informs, human rights activists call to support victims of the regime by telegrams, postcards and letters, and to send books to prison.

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The Ukrainian president`s secretariat has denied reports that Alyaksandr Lukashenka was scheduled to arrive in Kyiv on Monday, saying that the Belarusian leader is unlikely to visit Ukraine this week.

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“Transneft” CEO Semyon Vainshtok, says there are no problems with Russian oil transit through Belarus for today, but he thinks Western customers should be secured in the future. “As for Belarus, there is no such problem today. But it is surely necessary to diversify the direction and secure our Western partners from transit tensions, and it would be done,” Vainshtok said in an interview to Vesti news channel.

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