Mailing List Service Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE January 15, 2002 read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml ---------------------------------------------------------------- ANTI-TERRORIST COALITION TAKES INTEREST IN BELARUS? Recently deputy head of the department for information of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Andrei Savinykh, answering the question why there followed no FMs reaction to the articles in the US press about Belarus arms deals, said that theres absolutely no point in their responding to such allegations. All of them, the official said, are concocted by journalistic circles in Vilnius. The FM representative even described the scheme of materials appearance: first, they are reportedly sent to the German telegraph agency DPA, after which, with a reference to DPA, they appear in the Belarusian press. Observer from the Polish weekly Wprost Yan Churilovich agreed to comment to the Belorusskaya Gazeta on these FMs declarations. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MEMORIAL SIGN TO REPRESSIONS VICTIMS ERECTED IN KUROPATY In Kuropaty there took place an opening ceremony of re-erecting the memorial sign From the people of USA to the Belarusian nation. The memorial sign had been first planted at the mass burial site of Stalins victims on January 15, 1994. Back then the former US president Bill Clinton personally engaged in the event. However, last summer the memorial suffered badly from hands of some vandals. Today its second opening ceremony was attended by the US ambassador in Belarus Michael Kozak. In his introductory speech the diplomat said that the memorial sign is again installed in remembrance of those, who fell victim of Stalins repressions. After saying that Kozak kindled a candle and announced a minute of silence in memory of the innocently killed. ---------------------------------------------------------------- PUTIN MUST INFLUENCE LUKASHENKA Sueddeutsche Zeitung Wives of six Belarusian dissenters, who disappeared, were arrested or perished under unsolved circumstances, sent a letter to Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski with an appeal to ask the master of Kremlin Vladimir Putin to assist in investigation on their husbands fate. Tomorrow, on Wednesday, Putin goes to Poland with a state visit. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ARRESTED OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS TURN FOR OSCE AMG HELP Vladimir Malei and Gennady Samoilenko, sentenced by the Leninsky district court of Brest to 15 days of arrest, addressed the OSCE AMG ambassador in Belarus with a request to tell the OSCE and the European Parliaments leaderships about new facts of violation by the Belarusian authorities of art.19 of the Pact On civil and political rights. ---------------------------------------------------------------- LEONOV OFFICIALLY DISMISSED FROM MTP DIRECTORS SEAT The Ministry of industry abrogated the labor contract with Mikhail Leonov in connection with the criminal proceedings, instituted against him. On January 14 Leonov was relieved from the previously occupied post of the director general of the Minsk Tractor Plant under art.259 of the countrys Labor Code. In the order of the Ministry of industry it is written that the basis for the abrogation of agreement with Leonov is the letter from the presidential Administration of January 11 and the Cabinets ruling of January 14. Back on January 9 the procuracy reported that Leonov was dismissed from post upon Lukashenkos order, following the concomitant report of the prosecutor general Viktor Sheiman. ---------------------------------------------------------------- RUSSIA EMBARKS ON PRIVATIZATION OF BELARUSIAN COMPANIES Russian investors will take part in the privatization of the Belarusian companies under equal conditions with the domestic investors. This was mentioned during the meeting of the deputy Minister of property relations of Russia Vladimir Mamigonov in the Department for managing state property of the Ministry of Economy of Belarus, reports IA Ekopress. ---------------------------------------------------------------- TULEEV, LUKASHENKO TO EMBARK ON COAL-MINING Governor of the Kemerovsky region Aman Tuleev offered Alexander Lukashenko to set up on the Kuzbasss territory the first international coal mine. The governors press-service reports that in a letter to the Belarusian leader this idea had been conveyed back in December, during the Belarusian official delegations visit to Kemerovo. However, then the Belarusian side said that the cost of construction works is too high 430mln rubles. Today, notes Aman Tuleev in his letter, there emerged new proposals, lowering the costs twice due to the practice of licenses and certain innovations. ---------------------------------------------------------------- BELARUSIAN DELEGATION TO VISIT CHINA Official visit of the delegation, representing Belarusian national assembly, chaired by the chairman of the Republics council Alexander Voitovich, to China will take place on January 17-24. The schedule of their visit envisages talks with the chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Assembly of peoples representatives Lee Pen, deputy chair Hu Tsintao, deputy premier of the State Council Tsyan Tichen. The delegation members intend to visit the Khubay province, which cooperates with the Brest region, as well as the towns Ukhan, Shantchzen, Syogan, Shunde and Guantchzou. ---------------------------------------------------------------- RUSSIAN BREWERS UNWILLING TO BE FOOLED BY DEPOSITORS Last week Krynitsa brewery was visited by the governmental commission, headed by the Vice-Premier Alexander Popkov. The purpose of his visit was to evaluate the results of the first stage of reconstructing the plant within the framework of the investment project Baltika-Krynitsa. Meantime, it is known that in March the production of the new type of beer at the Krynitsa plant wont begin according to the schedule, reports Belorusskaya Gazeta. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ECONOMIC GROWTH RATES IN DECLINE In 2001 the country recorded the reduction of growth rates of the Belarusian economy. According to the Ministry of statistics and analysis, the volume of the gross domestic product rose by 4,1%, as compared to 5,8% in 2000. The production of industrial goods rose by 5,4% (7,8%), agricultural 1,8% (9,3%). ---------------------------------------------------------------- SALARY INDEBTEDNESS CURED BY CREDITS Three days before the new year salary indebtedness in Homel region reduced from three billion roubles to about 20 million roubles. It happened mainly due to credits. But it would inevitably affect December salaries payment. But it would happen tomorrow. And now the order is performed. ---------------------------------------------------------------- AID FOR JOBLESS REMAINS, BUT A SYMBOLIC ONE According to the forecast of social and economic development of the capital for the year 2002, this year a demand for labor force will diminish, and the unemployment rate will increase. Unemployment rate estimate in Minsk by the end of 2002 is 1.6 percent of economically active population, the Vecherny Minsk newspaper informs. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MUNICIPAL SERVICES TO ECONOMIZE ON HOT WATER To cut down expenses on hot water supplied to population and state-run enterprises, municipal services of Belarus have diminished the temperature of water and in some areas the hot water is not supplied at nighttime. Because of strong frost more energy resources were spent on hot water and central heating. Now municipal services have to economize. It concerns particularly boiler-houses that work on hard fuel and on natural gas. Such boiler-houses constitute more than a half of their entire quantity in the country. Gas supply will be reduced by 15%. ---------------------------------------------------------------- BELARUSIANS SMUGGLED INTO SPAIN 11 TONS OF COCAINE At the Madrid court proceedings over an attempt to smuggle into Spain 11 tons of cocaine, among the 36 suspects are 10 Russian marines, 3 Belarusian and 3 Estonian. This information was provided to RIA Novosti by the Spanish judicial authorities. Another Russian national, a 65-year old senior sailor of the Taamsaare trawler, with which the Columbian and Spanish drug dealers transported cocaine, was killed in Spanish riot police attack on the vessel. ---------------------------------------------------------------- GENNADY KARPENKOS WIFE APPLIES FOR ASYLUM IN GERMANY Ludmila Karpenko, wife of the deceased under strange circumstances on April 6, 1999 Vice-Speaker of the 13th Supreme Soviet and Lukashenkos outspoken opponent Gennady Karpenko, applied for political asylum in Germany. Charters press-center learnt this from the well-informed sources. As you remember, a few weeks ago Ludmila Filippovna Karpenko headed to Germany together with her family her son, his wife and their daughter. Ludmila Karpenko chairs the Gennady Karpenkos Foundation, which is currently investigating into her husbands tragic demise. In case the lady receives political shelter on the German soil, she will coordinate the organizations activities from there. As you remember, over two years ago the family of the disappeared ex-Interior Minister Yuri Zakharenko received political asylum in Germany. Karpenko had numerously reported of the constant pressure, which the authorities exerted on her and her family in Belarus. She complained about problems with employment, telephone and apartments eavesdropping, surveillance. ---------------------------------------------------------------- DEMOCRACY IS OUR BEST SECURITY The Washington TimesJanuary 11, 2002 An intolerant, corrupt regime that helped found, finance and diplomatically defend the Taliban is - remarkably - still considered "friendly" to America. The Saudi Arabian dictatorship, whose only real allegiance is to keeping power, can never be a reliable ally of the United States. The Bush administration should keep this track record in mind as America manages a broad tactical coalition that includes other rotten authoritarian regimes like those in Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Egypt and China. For such dictatorships are not only unreliable partners, but breed the very terrorists we must now defeat. Promotion of American interests, including removing the causes of terrorism, will demand the fostering of democratic governance worldwide. ---------------------------------------------------------------- FORMER ATLANTS DIRECTOR TRANSFERRED TO NOVINKI MENTAL HOSPITAL Former director of the Atlant refrigerator-producing plant Leonid Kalugin was placed in the mental hospital Novinki last Wednesday but his lawyer was told this by Kalugins relatives not until Friday night. Lawyer Pylchenko is convinced that the investigation deliberately evaded the law, which demands the special detectives order in cases when the arrested person has to be placed for an expertise into the hospital. ---------------------------------------------------------------- FORMER RADIO WORKS DIRECTOR CAN BE SENTENCED TO 8 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT Radio Svaboda Homel Investigation department officially charged director of Homel radio works Anatol Kirykau, who was detained on January 5. As the chief of economical crimes department of Investigation department Mikhail Zagorsky informed, director Kirykau was accused on charges related to Article 424, part 3 of the Criminal Code abuse of power that led to grave consequence. According to this Article an offender can be sentenced to up to 8 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. Investigation department believes that the director intentionally signed a contract for delivery of furniture to Germany and the damage caused to the state was equal to 87 million roubles. ---------------------------------------------------------------- UCP CALLS WEST TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS ON REGIME Belarusian opposition calls on the West to introduce economic and political sanctions against the government, which intensified pressure on the independent media, trade unions and political opponents. The United Civil Party circulated on Monday an address to the Organization for security and cooperation in Europe (OSCE), urging it to impose sanctions on official Minsk for its persecution of activists in the regions. ---------------------------------------------------------------- KONOPLEV SUPERVISES NON-STATE PRESS yusnews.info On January 16 there must take place another meeting of the Belorusskaya Gazeta shareholders. According to the demand of some stockholders, the meetings participants are supposed to consider the issues of financing the Russian-Belarusian company for the past year. So far, no documents have been obtained by the shareholders. ---------------------------------------------------------------- DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OFFICIAL AND MARKET EXCHANGE RATES REACHED ALMOST 5% Last week (7-13 of January) US dollars exchange rate to BLR grew at the majority of the market sectors. Besides, the difference between the exchange (official) and market rates (it has reached almost 5%), and between the market and bank exchange rates. The last is allegedly connected with an unofficial demand of the National Bank not to exceed 60-rouble difference between the official and bank quotations of the American currencies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE January 15, 2002 read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.charter97 http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com