CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February 13, 2003
www.charter97.org
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LUKASHENKO'S LINKS
12:55 13/02/2003, Christian Caryl and Sandy L. Edry, NEWSWEEK

Belarus hasn't been in the limelight for a whileits appalling human-rights record
and disinterest in democratic progress have largely isolated dictator Aleksandr
Lukashenko. But Lukashenko's pariah status has ingratiated him with one world
leader: Saddam Hussein. Now their relationship seems to be attracting Western
attention once again.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/newsweek

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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PASSES RESOLUTION ON TRADE UNIONS' RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BELARUS
12:04 13/02/2003

At its regular session in Strasbourg the European Parliament passed resolution
in support of the call of the International Confederation of free trade unions
to conduct investigation into trade unions' rights violations in Belarus and,
if need be, to exclude this country from the EU general system of preferences.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/trade

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LOCAL ELECTIONS UNDEMOCRATIC SAYS BPF
15:29 13/02/2003

BPF Party calls on the international organizations and governments of the democratic
countries to deny recognition to the March 2 local elections in Belarus as free
and just, reads the statement of the BPF, voiced by the party's leader Vintsuk
Vyachorka at his meeting with journalists in Minsk. The statement was provoked,
according to him, by numerous violations, which occurred in course of the electoral
campaigns at the registration stage.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/local

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GENERAL FROLOV VERSUS ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO
15:27 13/02/2003

Criticizing the government for unsatisfactory work last year Alexander Lukashenko
all of a sudden mentioned deputy of the so-called "house of representatives"
Valery Frolov. According to those, present at the meeting, Lukashenko said something
like this: "If Frolov continues to speak out in public, there'll be no place
for him in Belarus". "BDG" addressed the general with a request to comment on
Lukashenko's statement.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/frolov

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VADIM POPOV DEPLORES US POLICY ON IRAN
15:24 13/02/2003, Iran.ru

Speaker of the Belarusian "parliament" Vadim Popov said during his meeting with
deputy Foreign Minister of Iran for Asia, Oceania and CIS Mohsen Aminzade that
he, along with his colleagues from parliament, are opposed to the US president's
stance towards the Islamic Republic of Iran. On Wednesday he called on UN to
play the crucial role in the solution of international problems, the Iraqi one
included.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/popov

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GOETHE-INSTITUTE DENIED ACCOMMODATION IN MINSK
12:32 13/02/2003

German language training courses in the Institute of Goethe in Minsk will temporarily
be suspended. BELTA quotes the Germany embassy officials in Belarus as saying
that the Belarusian state agrarian university, where they hosted classed before,
can no longer provide space for the purpose. The courses were supposed to commence
on February 13 this year, enrolling as many as 500 students. The embassy personnel
is convinced that they would find the way out of the problem and come up with
additional advertisement on that right away.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/goethe

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JURY DECLINES TO CONSIDER "MESTNOYE VREMYAS" LAWSUIT TO REGIONAL AUTHORITIES
12:16 13/02/2003

On Wednesday the Minsk regional economic court resumed hearings on the lawsuit,
filed by representatives of the recently shut newspaper "Mestnoye Vremya" to
the city hall. The plaintiffs demand cancellation of the regional hall's decision,
on the basis of which the Ministry of information of Belarus nullified the newspaper's
registration certificate. However, judge Alexander Bragin halted the hearings,
referring to the fact that the newspaper no longer exists as a legal body.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/mv

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BELARUSIAN LANGUAGE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN BELARUS
12:15 13/02/2003, vlasti.net

On February 12 secretary of the Gomel town electoral commission Julia Denisenko
refused to type Belarusian-language biographies of the deputies for the town's
hall Ivan Yatskov and Andrei Baranov. Denisenko argued that she would not make
any exceptions for Yatskov and Baranov, for she doesn't have proper technical
base for the purpose. She added that the rest of the nominees composed their
CVs in Russian.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/mova

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"CAPITAL TV" SUBSIDIZED BY STATE
12:13 13/02/2003

Alexander Lukashenko's draft decree "On rendering state assistance to the joint
stock company "Capital Television" was approved at the meeting of the Cabinet's
Presidium, which was held on February 12 in the Palace of government, chaired
by the Prime-Minister Gennady Novitsky.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/stv

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BELARUS, IRAN TAKE IRAQ'S SIDE
12:11 13/02/2003

Belarus and Iran's approaches to the peaceful solution of the Iraqi problem coincide
in many points, said in unison first deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Vasily
Pugachev and deputy Foreign Minister of Iran Mahsen Aminzade, who arrived in
Minsk to engage in FM consultations on a wide spectrum of items.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/help

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KHATAMI IS SAID TO ARRIVE IN SUMMER
12:09 13/02/2003

Visit of the Iranian incumbent Mohammad Khatami to Minsk will take place in summer
this year, the press was told by deputy Foreign Minister of Iran Mahsen Aminzade,
who recently came to Minsk for the FM bilateral talks. According to the high-level
Iranian official, the issue has been raised for consideration at the meeting
between the Iranian delegation and first deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Vasily
Pugachev.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/vizit

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IRAN TAKES INTEREST IN ACCELERATED COOPERATION WITH BELARUS
12:08 13/02/2003

Poignant issues of bilateral cooperation have been a matter of debates in Minsk
in course of the second round of Belarusian-Iranian FM consultations. Responding
the question posed by BELTA correspondent, the head of the Iranian FM delegation,
deputy Foreign Minister Mahsen Aminzade expressed his satisfaction over the course
of negotiations. According to him, Iran is interested in developing cooperation
ties with Belarus, especially in the trade-economic sphere. Mahsen Aminzade is
convinced that they have all the necessary prerequisites for the purpose.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/iran

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RUSSIAN CHANNELS' AIR TO BE CUT DOWN SAYS INFORMATION MINISTER
12:06 13/02/2003

A tendency of diminished Russian channels broadcasting must be viewed as the
consequence of enlargement and development of the Belarusian national television,
said at the Wednesday press-conference in Minsk the Minister of information of
Belarus Mikhail Podgainy.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/13/tv
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February 13, 2003
www.charter97.org