The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE January, 10, 2007 http://charter97.org/eng/news/ --------------------------------------------------------- LUKASHENKA HAD TO ABOLISH TRANSIT DUTY FOR OIL TRANSIT 18:15 10/01/2007 Belarusian government has cancelled its decree on imposing a fee for transporting oil through Belarusian territory, told Belarusian Prime Minister Syarhei Sidorski on Wednesday. "Taking in consideration bilateral agreements with the Russian Federation, today the government has resolved to announce its decision on imposing state duty for oil transit via trunk oil pipelines to lose effect," S. Sidorski said. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/otmena --------------------------------------------------------- WHAT HAVE THEY AGREED ON? 15:47 10/01/2007 Vladimir Putin has discussed with Alyaksandr Lukashenka on the phone problems of Russian oil transit via Belarus, the press-service of the Kremlin informs. "During the talks issues of economical cooperation of Russia and Belarus have been discussed, including the cooperation in the energy sphere, problems of Russian oil transit through the territory of Belarus," the press-service noted, saying that the conversation had been held on initiative of the Belarusian side. Meanwhile, the Belarusian side maintains that Minks and Moscow have stricken a compromise on issues of Russian oil transit through the territory of Belarus. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/dogovor --------------------------------------------------------- KREMLIN PREPARES HARSH SANCTIONS FOR BELARUS 10:35 10/01/2007 The first round of talks between Russia and Belarus after oil transit cut off is absolutely fruitless, and it makes the Kremlin take strong measures. According to "Vedomosti", in the next few days a package of economic measures including imposing duties for Belarusian goods imported at zero-rate now, is to be elaborated. Belarusian experts interviewed by "Vremya Novostey", believe that Russia's harsh position can lead to breakdown of Belarusian economic model of "market socialism", to Lukashenka's regime crisis or at least to less radical reforms avoided by Belarusian government so far. This could be a reprisal for two minutes of illegal siphoning off of Russian oil destined for Europe to Belarusian reserves. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/kreml --------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER 97: BELARUSIANS SIMILAR TO CZECHS WILL WAIT FOR THE CHANGES TO COME 17:56 10/01/2007, Radio "Svaboda" 30 years ago at the beginning of December 1977 the Charter 77, manifesto of the Czech dissidents, was published in the western press. According to the estimation of Vaclav Havel, one of the Charter' founders, who later moved from the dissidents to the presidents , the Charter served the model of how to oppose the totalitarian regime which had all the powerful devices in its hands. The Charter's experience was followed by Belarusian as well as by North-Korean, Cuban and Burma dissidents. It seems that charter has brought something that has survived the epoch of the Communism crash," finishes Vaclav Havel. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/peremeny --------------------------------------------------------- IS RUSSIA PROVOKING CRISIS IN BELARUS? 17:55 10/01/2007 Energy collision between Mink and Moscow may result over this year in the economic model crises and, possibly, in the power crises in Belarus. This opinion has been shared by the Belarusian independent experts interview by the Vremja Novostey. They consider that the construction period of the economic model, once called the market socialism by Alexander Lukashenko has elapsed. Soon the country will have nothing to do but to pass to economic reforms. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/krizis --------------------------------------------------------- POLITICAL PRISONER IVAN KRUK RELEASED 17:30 10/01/2007 A member of the United Civil Party, a political prisoner Ivan Kruk, who has spent half a year in Hlubokae detention home, has been released today. The leader of the democratic forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich has arrived to meet the prisoner to Hlubokae. However, the administration of the corrective facility has done everything possible for the political prisoner not to be met by friends and associates. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/kruk --------------------------------------------------------- CANDIDATE FOR DEPUTY ARRESTED FOR 7 DAYS 16:49 10/01/2007 A candidate for deputy in Pinsk city council Alyaksandr Vasilyeu has been sentenced to 7 days of administrative arrest. He has been charged with petty hooliganism during consultations of the local vertical of power with members of election commissions, Radio Svaboda informs. Participants of election campaign in Brest region state that it is not an isolated case of intimidation of independent candidates by the regime. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/deputat --------------------------------------------------------- MORE OPPOSITION CANDIDATES PULL OUT 13:16 10/01/2007 Several opposition candidates running in the local elections in the Mogilyov region have withdrawn from the race, citing fears that the elections will be rigged. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/pull --------------------------------------------------------- ANATOL LYABEDZKA DETAINED 13:15 10/01/2007 The leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka has been detained in Minsk near Kamarouski market. He is a candidate for deputy in Masherauski constituency No. 41. Anatol Lyabedzka handed out leaflets with his platform and a program of regional development drawn up by the National committee of the United democratic forces, to voters. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/lebedko --------------------------------------------------------- VIKTAR LUKASHENKA INTRODUCED INTO SECURITY COUNCIL 13:02 10/01/2007 Viktar Lukashenka, a president's aide on national security, has been officially introduced into the Security Council of Belarus. A Decree No. 3 of January 5, 2007, "Ezhednevnik" informs. The status of Alyaksandr Lukashenka's elder son in fact is equal to the status of the KGB chairman or the head of Interior Ministry. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/sostav --------------------------------------------------------- SEARCHES IN APARTMENTS OF YOUNG ACTIVISTS 11:48 10/01/2007 Policemen have searched apartments of activists of the "Young Front" in Baranavichy and Vorsha, Radio Svaboda informs. Stickers, badges, CDs founds by policemen, were taken to a police department. An activist of Vorsha regional branch Syarhei Huminski has been called in for questioning. A criminal action was brought up against him for making political graffiti. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/peratrus --------------------------------------------------------- POLICE DETAIN ONE MORE ELECTION AGENT OF OPPOSITION CANDIDATE IN GOMEL 11:43 10/01/2007 One more election agent of Viktor Korneyenko, a member of the United Civic Party running for the Gomel Regional Soviet, was detained by police on Tuesday. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/gomel --------------------------------------------------------- PPOSITION CANDIDATES IN GOMEL REGION BOW OUT 11:42 10/01/2007 Two more opposition candidates have withdrawn from the election race in the Gomel region.These are Viktor Korniyenko and Zinaida Shumilina, members of the United Civic Party who both had run for the regional soviet. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/candidat --------------------------------------------------------- RUSSIAS TRANSNEFT SUES BELARUS - ENERGY MINISTER 10:59 10/01/2007 Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft filed law suits Tuesday against Belarus, which Moscow accuses of tapping Europe-bound oil, the industry and energy minister said Tuesday. Transneft said Monday it was forced to halt crude supplies via its western neighbor because Belarus had been siphoning off Russian oil designated for Europe from the Druzhba pipeline. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/transneft --------------------------------------------------------- MOSCOW WILL NOT START TALKS UNTIL BELARUS LIFTS TRANSIT FEE 10:58 10/01/2007 Russia will not start talks on ending the current standoff with Belarus until it lifts its transit levy on Russias Europe-bound oil, the economics minister said Tuesday. Russia halted crude supplies via its western neighbor on Sunday, accusing Belarus of siphoning off crude designated for Europe from the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/gref --------------------------------------------------------- UKRAINE MAY INCREASE TRANSIT OF RUSSIAN OIL 10:56 10/01/2007 Ukraine counts to increase transit of Russian oil without binding to "the Belarussian situation", adviser to Chairman of board of the public joint-stock company UkrTransNafta Oleksandr Dykusarov said. According to him, the parties are negotiating on increasing volumes of transit up to12 million tons a year. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/ukr --------------------------------------------------------- MERKEL PUSHES PUTIN TO END BLOCKADE 10:54 10/01/2007, Bloomberg German Chancellor Angela Merkel prodded Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the cutoff of European oil supplies triggered by Russia's pricing clash with neighboring Belarus. In an echo of last year's Russian embargo of natural gas shipments to Ukraine, Russia stopped pumping crude oil through Belarus after the Belarusian government imposed a transit tax in retaliation against a Russian price increase. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/01/10/germany -------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE January, 10, 2007 http://charter97.org/eng/news/ -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.charter97&email=e@mail http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com