CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 15, 2007
http://charter97.org/eng/news/
---------------------------------------------------------
BELARUS INCREASES COST OF RUSSIAN OIL TRANSIT
10:54 15/02/2007
Since February 15 Belarus unilaterally increased costs for Russian oil transit by more than 30%, RIA Novosti informs. "Economy Ministry of Belarus ahs adopted a statement under which transit of Russian oil to Poland and Germany would hike by 35%. In Ukrainian direction transit is to hike by 31.6%. According to reports of the Belarusian side, as a result the average oil transportation tariffs would match Russia's domestic oil transportation tariffs.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/oil
---------------------------------------------------------
WHAT POLITICAL PRISONERS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE AMNESTY?
18:09 15/02/2007
Internal Ministry has started to get ready for an amnesty. As the press-service of Alyaksandr Lukashenka confirmed, on February 13 the president ordered Interior Minister Uladzimir Navumau to start groundwork for an amnesty of persons who had committed less serious crimes. Radio Svaboda has been told in the ministry that the work is underway.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/amnesty
---------------------------------------------------------
SVYATLANA ALEKSIEVICH: "TODAY WE ARE LEARNING SIMPLY TO LIVE"
12:38 15/02/2007
On the eve of the St. Valentine's Day, the "European Radio for Belarus" recorded an interview with the renowned writer Svyatlana Alexievich. We conversed with her about love and her new book about this great feeling.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/aleksievich
---------------------------------------------------------
LITHUANIA STEPS IN BETWEEN BELARUS AND EU
17:54 15/02/2007
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's appeals to the West to protect him against Russia have met with a response from within the European Union. Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus stated yesterday that his country is developing an oil transportation system with Belarus and Ukraine as an alternative to Russian pipelines. The new Lithuanian ambassador in Minsk, Edminas Bagdonas, handed authorities in Minsk a proposal from Vilnius that it become an intermediary in relations between Minsk and the European
Union.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/kurator
---------------------------------------------------------
EUROPEAN RADIO: MILINKEVICH CAN HELP BELARUS WITH WESTERN INVESTMENTS
17:28 15/02/2007
Alyaksandr Milinkevich offered his support to the authorities in developing the economic relationship with the West. This declaration was not groundless, considers the European Radio for Belarus. A day before Lukashenka gave his interview to the Reuters. In the interview he emphasized the importance of Belarus' cooperation with the West. "We stood on one foot but should have stand on both feet. We are between Russia and the West, we are a bridge between Russia and the West".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/radio
---------------------------------------------------------
ULADZIMIR KOBETS: "IT'S MILINKEVICH WHO GIVES MOMENTUM TO POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS TODAY"
17:07 15/02/2007
"Alyaksandr Milinkevich is a non-party man. That is why his refusal to take part in a party event is absolutely logical. Today Milinkevich is an absolute leader of the civil society, his influence in high both in Belarus and abroad. It's Milinkevich who gives momentum to political developments in the country. For instance, take his open letter to Lukashenka. It's a strong move of a serious politician, which can bring about concrete results," told a youth leader Uladzimir Kobets to the Chater'97 press-center,
commenting the decision of Alyaksandr Milinkevich not to take part in the Congress of the democratic forces.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/kobec
---------------------------------------------------------
ZMITSER BANDARENKA: BETTER TO COMPETE IN ACTION, THAN UNITE IN PASSIVITY
16:33 15/02/2007
"Split-up in the camp of the opposition doesn't have us smiling certainly. On the other hand, Milinkevich's decision is a way out of an organizational stalemate reached by leaders of the Political Council of the democratic forces. It is better to compete in action, than to be united in passivity. It is a very courageous move on the part of Milinkevich, and now confirmation of his leading position is to depend on his energy and competent actions of the team only. This move will push parties' leadership to a more
active work with the population," told the Charter'97 press-center Zmitser Bandarenka, commenting on the refusal of the united democratic forces leader Alyaksandr Milinkevich to take part in the Congress.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/bond
---------------------------------------------------------
VEDOMOSTI: EVERYBODY NEEDS INDEPENDENT BELARUS
14:56 15/02/2007
Now everybody needs independent Belarus. And 25 March both the Belarusian authorities and the opposition will celebrate with equal passion their independence, the"Vedomosti" Russian newspaper reports today.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/vsem
---------------------------------------------------------
ALYAKSANDR LAHVINETS: UNITED OPPOSITION AND PARTY INTERESTS ARE DIFFERENT THINGS
14:16 15/02/2007
A political analyst Alyaksandr Lahvinets has commented a denial of Alyaksandr Milinkevich to take part in the Congress of democratic forces in March this year.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/al
---------------------------------------------------------
SYARHEI KALYAKIN: THE CONGRESS IS TO TAKE PLACE, WITH OUR WITHOUT MILINKEVICH
14:03 15/02/2007
Yesterday's statement by the chairman of the Political council of the united democratic forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich about his refusal to take part in the Congress of democratic forces was taken by oppositionists in their stride, an internet-resource "Belorusskiy Partizan" believes. As we have informed, the congress is to take place in the middle of March.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/kalyakin
---------------------------------------------------------
PUTIN: THE LOUSE THAT ROARED
12:58 15/02/2007, "Los Angeles Times"
The American delegates to last weekend's Munich Conference on Security Policy, an annual transatlantic gathering of policymakers and defense experts, were not predisposed to embrace Vladimir Putin after we learned that the Russian president's entourage had booked more than 100 rooms in the conference hotel, the stately Bayerischer Hof, relegating most of us to a ho-hum Hilton in the hinterlands. (It could have been worse. As one journalist joked, if President Bush had been in attendance, the White House would
have taken so many rooms that we would have been commuting from Lichtenstein.)
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/putin
---------------------------------------------------------
BELARUSIAN INTERNET CAFES OBLIGED TO COOPERATE WITH KGB
12:39 15/02/2007
From now on an owner of an Internet-Cafe or a person authorized by him is to keep a log of domain names of sites read by users. A log of domain names is to be stores for at least 12 months and if necessary given to officers of state security, law-enforcing and state inspection agencies. This demand in contained in a decree of Belarusian government "with the aim to regularize relations in the sphere of computer clubs and internet-caf business".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/kgb
---------------------------------------------------------
ALYAKSANDR MILINKEVICH REFUSES TO PARTICIPATE IN CONGRESS
11:44 15/02/2007
Leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich announced his refusal to participate in Congress of the democratic forces, which is to take place in Minsk in March this year. According to Milinkevich, the Congress is to take place in a month but still no consolidated viewpoints have been worked out either on its contents or on its aims and some of the parties' leaders instead of organizing the joint work have started internal rows. "I can't any longer remain the hostage of this situation. I
don't want all the potential of the democratic forces to get drowned in the competition of leaders of the parties. For this reason I announce my refusal to participate in Congress because the Congress can result only in fragmentation of the democratic forces", announced the leader of the opposition and called the democratic forces to concentrate on preparing to the Belarusian Day of Freedom on March 25.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/milinkevich
---------------------------------------------------------
YOUTH RALLY 'BELARUS TO EUROPE' HELD IN MINSK (PHOTO)
11:39 15/02/2007
On February 14 a march of young people "Belarus to Europe" took place in Minsk. During the march participants delivered Valentine's cards with message of love for European values to diplomatic missions in Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/photo
---------------------------------------------------------
THE COURT REQUIREMENT TO "VITEBSK KURJER" TO VACATE PREMISES OBTAINS LEGAL FORCE
11:22 15/02/2007
The Vitebsk district Appeal court dismissed a complaint of the "Vitebsk Kurjer M" non-governmental newspaper founder and left without amendments the decision of the Vitebsk district Economic court on February 12, the "Vitebsk Kurjer" publishing house" lawyer Mr. Dmitry Vikratsky informed the BAJ Press Service.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2007/02/15/vk
--------------------------------------------------------
CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February, 15, 2007
http://charter97.org/eng/news/