Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Belarus

U.S. 'Committed' To Ukraine's Integration With West

U.S. Secretary of State Rice (file photo) (RFE/RL)

7 December 2005 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Kyiv today for talks with senior Ukrainian officials, said the United States is "committed to Ukraine's full integration to the international economy and, ultimately, to Euro-Atlantic structures."

TEXT SIZE - +

December 07, 2005

Rice, speaking at a joint press conference with Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko, said Washington values Ukraine’s friendship and views it as a strategic partner.

The U.S. secretary of state also expressed concern about draft legislation in Russia that proposes strict regulation of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Rice expressed the hope that Russia understands "the importance of NGOs to a stable, democratic environment."

The talks mark the first high-level U.S. visit to Ukraine since last winter's Orange Revolution. Rice also held talks in Germany and Romania on 6 December. She flies to Brussels later on 7 December.

(ITAR-TASS/Reuters/AP)

RFE/RL Belarus, Ukraine, And Moldova Report

SUBSCRIBE For weekly news and analysis on Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova by e-mail, subscribe to "RFE/RL Belarus, Ukraine, And Moldova Report."

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

'Police Detain Stuffed Animals' In Minsk Toy Protest

Belarusian youth activists say police have "detained" some stuffed animals used in an antigovernment protest in Minsk, in an echo of similar recent protests in Russia. More

There are frequent reports in the Bulgarian and Ukrainian media about Romanian “pirates” robbing passing transport ships on the Danube. (file photo)

Reports Of 'Pirates Of The Danube' Get The Old Heave-Ho

An attack last month on a Ukrainian barge on the Romanian sector of the Danube River has caused a diplomatic tussle between Bucharest and Kyiv, sparking media reports of possible acts of piracy on Europe's second-largest river. But do “Danube pirates” actually exist? More