The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE February, 8, 2007 http://charter97.org/eng/news/ --------------------------------------------------------- EUROPEAN COMMISSION READY TO HELP BELARUS WITH REFORMS 18:28 08/02/2007 The European Commission is ready to lend technical and consultative support to Belarus in exchange for a certain "mitigation" of the regime, said the European Commission's Director General for External Relations Eneko Landaburu at a conference "The European Union and Belarus: New Challenges" organized by the largest group of the European Parliament, the European People's Party European Democrats. As we have informed, a delegation of Belarusian opposition headed by the leader of democratic forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich is taking part in the conference in Brussels. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/gotova --------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTED GOODS PRICE HIKE IN MINSK 16:44 08/02/2007 The Minsk City Council resolution has become effective since 1 February. In compliance with the resolution the tax on imported goods sales raised from 5% to 15%. It means that we are going to face a 10% price raise. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/import --------------------------------------------------------- LITHUANIAN PRIME MINISTER: "BELARUS COULD OPT FOR DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT" 15:24 08/02/2007 The pronounced desire of Minsk to improve relations with the West after the energy row with Moscow could be a sign that Belarus would opt for democratic development, the Prime Minister of Lithuania Gediminas Kirkilas believes. "It is possible that the government and leadership of Belarus are beginning to realize that a unilateral policy could not bring about good results, especially in the geopolitical situation of Belarus. If this turn is a sign of changes in Belarus, thanks to this realization Belarus in some measure could take a democracy tack", the Prime Minister said in an interview to a Lithuanian radio station Ziniu radijas. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/litva --------------------------------------------------------- BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION EXTENDS HAND TO LUKASHENKA 10:55 08/02/2007 Alyaksandr Lukashenka has relieved a proposal for cooperation from opposition for the first time. Lukashenka's political opponents have asked Lukashenka not only about holding a mass rally on March 25 in the center of Minsk, but to take part in it personally. It is offered to time the rally to the 89th anniversary of the Belarusian People's republic proclamation. The opposition is convinced that "in the eyes of the world community such rally would promote an impression about Belarus as a really independent and sovereign state," "Novye Izvestia" informs. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/ruka --------------------------------------------------------- BELARUS READY TO DISCUSS WITH RF SETTLEMENT OF TRANSPORT CONFLICT 18:27 08/02/2007 Belarus is ready to discuss with Russia ways of settling the transport conflict over Kaliningrad transit, a spokesman for the Belarussian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/mid --------------------------------------------------------- NIKOLAY KHALEZIN: "CONTEMPORARY HISTORY KNOWS FACTS OF LIBERALIZATION OF AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES" 18:00 08/02/2007 "The address of the opposition leader to the head of the Belarusian regime as such is a fact of maturity of the democratic forces and a balanced approach to the situation. I can add that this address shows Alyaksandr Milinkevich's maturity as a politician and a public leader. Such facts occur in the history: Vaclav Havel sent a letter to Gustav Husak, urging the Communist authorities of the Czechoslovakia to start a dialogue; Dalai Lama called upon the leadership of Chinese Communists to discuss problems of Tibet; Nelson Mandela urged Frederik de Klerk, State President of South Africa to stop the apartheid policy," told a well-known Belarusian playwright and journalist Nikalay Khalezin, commenting to the Charter'97 press-center on the address of the Belarusian united opposition leader Alyaksandr Milinkevich to Alyaksandr Lukashenka with an appeal to start a dialogue with the opposition for the sake of Belarus' future. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/fakt --------------------------------------------------------- EXPERTS EXPECT CONSIDERABLE ACTUAL INCREASE OF PAYMENTS FOR DWELLING AND COMMUNAL SERVICES IN BELARUS 17:55 08/02/2007 According to the officials' promises no increase of household payments for dwelling and communal services for is to occur in Belarus. Meanwhile, to the experts' mind, the authorities will be able to find ways of demanding extra payment for water and electric power supply and central heating. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/rost --------------------------------------------------------- "THE SQUARE" SCREENING TO TAKE PLACE IN NEW YORK 16:46 08/02/2007 On February 18 at 12.30 p.m. in the public hall of St.Cyrils of Turau Cathedral in Brooklyn a screening of the film "The Square" ("Ploshcha") by Yury Khaschavatski is to take place. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/platz --------------------------------------------------------- CONCERT DEDICATED TO ST. VALENTINE'S DAY WAS BANNED 16:45 08/02/2007 The concert, which had been due on the eve of the St. Valentine's Day, 13 February, was banned. Management of the House of Writers where the performance was to take place grounded the prohibition on technical reasons. The action organizers, commission on culture of the BNF party and friends of the "For Freedom "company, consider the prohibition as politically motivated. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/day --------------------------------------------------------- TRANSFER OF BELTRANSGAZ TO RUSSIA IS FACING PROBLEMS 16:44 08/02/2007 The process of creation of the Belarusian-Russian joint venture on the basis of the "Beltransgaz" Joint-Stock company can't go on without problems. This information was given by general manager of Beltransgaz Dzmitri Kazakou to the BELTA correspondent. "But it is natural because such global project is being implemented in Belarus for the first time", Dzmitri Kazakou explained. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/problema --------------------------------------------------------- GAZETA WYBORCZA: WILL ROUND TABLE IN BELARUS? 16:28 08/02/2007 Today Polish press writes about the proposal of Alyaksandr Milinkevich to Alyaksandr Lukashenka to start a dialogue for the sake of the country's good. "Will there be a round table in Belarus?" reads the article in the Gazeta Wyborcza. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/smi --------------------------------------------------------- CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISTS PETITION PROSECUTOR GENERAL TO DROP CRIMINAL CHARGE AGAINST POLISH COMMUNITY MEMBER 13:58 08/02/2007 Civil society activists on February 7 sent an open letter to Prosecutor General Pyotr Miklashevich, urging him to stop the criminal prosecution of Mieczyslaw Jaskiewicz, a Warsaw-backed activist of the Polish community in Belarus. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/member --------------------------------------------------------- RUSSIA-BELARUS UNION STATE IN DANGER - DUMA SPEAKER 13:50 08/02/2007 Russia's Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov has expressed concern over the progress in builing a union state with Belarus. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/gryzlov --------------------------------------------------------- ALYAKSANDR MILINKEVICH TO MEET EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DEPUTIES 13:48 08/02/2007 Today, February 8, Alyaksandr Milinkevich starts his one-day visit to Brussels. In the framework of the Study day on Belarus in the European Parliament in Brussels organized by the European People's Party (the EPP-ED Group), the leader of the united democratic forces is to have a number of important meetings and talks with the leadership of the European parliament. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/am --------------------------------------------------------- LAW OF PRESS IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED THIS YEAR 13:13 08/02/2007 Belarusian "parliamentarians" are not going to consider a new version of the law of press and other mass media. That was reported by member of the commission on human rights, national relations and mass media of the "national assembly house of representatives" Alyaksandr Svirid. According to him, the draft law has not been submitted, to the lower house, yet, because it is still at the stage of development. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/zakon --------------------------------------------------------- BELARUS HAS APPEARED ON THE DEFENSE BLACK LIST OF THE USA 13:13 08/02/2007 George Bush's administration prohibited all military deliveries from the USA to Venezuela, putting it on the list of countries deprived of the licenses for such deliveries. According to RIA Novosti, the corresponding instruction had been already signed in the Department of State of the USA on 12 January and on 7 February it came into force. According to the instruction, since today American weapons deliveries to Venezuela have been prohibited as well as other goods of defense purpose. Deprivation of licensees and other permits for export from certain countries and import to certain countries of goods of defense purpose is the USA policy. This policy is applicable to such countries as Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela and Viet-Nam it is said in the text of the instruction, signed by the deputy state secretary of the USA for armament control and international security Robert Joseph. The instruction introduces amendments into the effective administrative document "Procedure of International Trade of Weapons" which serves the basis for export-import transactions of defense designation. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/usa --------------------------------------------------------- CHARHINETS: REGIME COULD REACT POSITIVELY 12:48 08/02/2007 A member of the "council of republic" of the "national assembly" Mikalay Charhinets says that the government is to consider Alyaksandr Milinkevich's proposal to embark on a dialogue. In an interview to Polish "Gazeta Wyborcza" he said: "I know the contents of Milinkevich's letter. If we find utility in Alyaksandr Milinkevich's words, the government would react positively". http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/vlast --------------------------------------------------------- ALEH KORBAN AND ZMITSER KHVEDARUK RELEASED 11:32 08/02/2007 Activists of the Young Front Zmitser Khvedaruk and Aleh Korban were released from the KGB at 7.30 p.m., Radio Svaboda informs. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/08/freedom -------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE February, 8, 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