The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE February, 20, 2003 http://charter97.org/eng/news/ --------------------------------------------------------- MILLION OF SIGNATURES FOR BELARUS' EUROPEAN FUTURE 16:36 20/02/2004 The campaign of collection of signatures for Belarus joining the European Union started, told leaders of the European coalition "Free Belarus" Andrei Sannikov, Mikola Statkevich, Valyantsina Matusevich and Leanid Malakhaw at a press conference. The European Coalition "Free Belarus" is planning to collect a million of signatures of Belarusian citizens. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/action --------------------------------------------------------- NEW CONTRACT TO PROVIDE BELARUS FOR 10 DAYS 13:58 20/02/2004 Gazprom has resumes the delivery of natural gas to Belarus as well as transit deliveries via its territory. Gas supplies resumed on the basis of the contract signed on February 19 by Trans Nafta and Beltransgaz. The volume of gas supplies amounts to 640 million cubic meters. This volume is enough for 10 days. The contract on transit of Russian gas through Belarus has not been signed by the Belarusian side yet. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/new --------------------------------------------------------- NOBODY NEEDS LUKASHENKA 12:10 20/02/2004, Ihar Svabodin A summary of war operations. This association is evoked by today's flood of information on aggravation of Russian-Belarusian relations, coming since early morning. Urgent news were full of citations of Lukashenka's morning speech about "Russian brothers who have betrayed us" and with whom he "putrefied in one war trench". It seems that the whole state machine woke up and is trying to disprove in haste a long-standing myth that "we have only friends and well-wishers everywhere in the East". http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/nikomu --------------------------------------------------------- LUKASHENKO DIRECTS CABINET TO CONTINUE TALKS WITH GAZPROM 14:37 20/02/2004 Aleksandr Lukashenko on February 20 directed Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky to continue talks with Russia's Gazprom natural gas giant over gas deliveries to Belarus, the Belarusian leader's press office reported. Mr. Sidorsky informed the head of state that the pressure in the gas pipelines running through Belarus had been brought to a normal level, and that the transit of Russian gas via the country was resumed in full scale at 8 a.m., the press office said. The premier also told Mr. Lukashenko that in January, the country's GDP rose by eight percent and industrial output by 11 percent compared with the first month of 2003. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/budut --------------------------------------------------------- GAZPROM IS READY TO DISCUSS DOMESTIC PRICES FOR BELARUS AFTER JOINT VENTURE CREATED 14:12 20/02/2004 Gazprom is ready to return to the question of domestic prices for Russian gas supplies for Belarus after creation of a Belarusian- Russian gas transportation joint venture. "We are ready to return to the question of domestic prices after creation of Belarusian- Russian joint venture on the base of Beltransgaz", said Gazprom press secretary Sergei Kupriyanov to RIA Novosti. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/gazprom --------------------------------------------------------- SLOGAN "HE MUST RESIGN" IN BARYSAW 13:47 20/02/2004 A slogan with the words "He must resign!" was placed on February 18 over a highway in Barysaw. Ten activists of the unregistered movement "Zubr" came to the bridge of one of the highways of Barysaw at 5 p.m., in rush-hours. In a moment a poster with the words "He must resign!" was unfurled and attached to the bridge over the cars hurrying to Vorsha. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/dolzhen --------------------------------------------------------- BELARUS LIFTS RESTRICTIONS ON GAS CONSUMPTION 13:43 20/02/2004 The Belarussian government lifted restrictions on the use of gas by industrial plants after Russias Gazprom resumed supplies on Thursday, Belarussian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky said. "The country is now working normally," Sidorsky said. "The public and social infrastructure received and will receive all the gas they need whatever the situation," he said. "We have enough gas in storage and elsewhere to provide essential services," Sidorsky said. Sidorsky said he was talking about gas from the independent supplier Trans Nafta, which was intended mainly for industrial users to keep the "industrial and technological cycle operating safely." http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/belarus --------------------------------------------------------- PARTICIPANT OF ACTION "TIME TO ANSWER" GOT OFFICIAL WARNING 13:38 20/02/2004 Commission on the affairs of the underage delinquents of the administration of the Lenin District of Minsk issued an official warning to the activist of Zubr movement Julia Bandarenka. Julia Bandarenka took part in the action "Time to Answer" on January 23 in front of Belarusian Public Prosecutor's Office and was dedicated to the memory of the missing politicians. During detention the girl was beaten unmercifully by a police officer in a uniform of a lieutenant colonel. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/time --------------------------------------------------------- RIFT THREATENS BELARUS TIES WITH RUSSIA AFTER GAS SUPPLY IS CUT DURING -20C WINTER 13:37 20/02/2004, By Askold Krushelnycky, Independent Belaruss president Alexander Lukashenko denounced Russias "act of terrorism" after Moscow cut off gas supplies when freezing temperatures gripped the former Soviet republic this week. Belarus, which until now has pushed for a union with Russia, depends on Russian gas for its energy supplies. Until now Moscow has provided its impoverished neighbour with gas at Russian domestic prices - a quarter of the international market price. However, Belarus was indignant that Russia wanted to double the price to nearly $50 (£26) for 1,000 cubic meters of gas, still around half the market price of some $110 (£58). Belarus refused to sign a new contract or pay an outstanding $25m (£13.2m) gas bill. Important pipelines for Russias gas supply to Poland, Germany and Lithuania run through Belarus, and Mr Lukashenko gambled that Russia would not jeopardise those supplies or leave Belarusians without heat during the countrys worst cold snap this winter with temperatures of minus 20 degrees centigrade. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/moroz --------------------------------------------------------- NAVAPOLATSK PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE SUMMONS ZMITSER SALAVIOW 12:30 20/02/2004, VIASNA The human rights activists Zmitser Salawiow was summoned to Navapolatsk Prosecutor's Office to give explanations concerning some facts, mentioned in the letter, submitted by Navapolatsk Executive Committee. In the letter it was stated that some unregistered organizations maintained their activity in the city. Among them the authorities mentioned Human Rights Center "Viasna". They also presented the bulletin "Nasha Prava" as evidence. According to Salawiow, workers of the prosecutor's office showed him the letter and demanded explanations. He, in his turn, refused to answer referring to article 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus that allows persons not to give information that can be used against them. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/salaviow --------------------------------------------------------- AKSANA NOVIKAVA GETS DETAINED AGAIN 12:14 20/02/2004 At about 11 a.m. on 19 February Aksana Novikava was detained in front of the building of the Presidential Administration while handing to officers the appeal of citizens who protest against the illegal demolition of their private houses. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/novikava --------------------------------------------------------- SUPREME ECONOMIC COURT REJECTS "BDG" SUIT TO INFORMATION MINISTRY 12:12 20/02/2004 On 19 February 2004 the Supreme Economic Court didn't satisfy the suit of "Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta" with the demand to set aside the warning, issued to the newspaper on 26 December 2003. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2004/02/20/bdg --------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE February, 20, 2003 http://charter97.org/eng/news/ -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.charter97&email= http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com