Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Belarus

Council Of Europe Says Russia Essential For Belarus Dialogue

The EU has imposed travel sanctions and frozen the European assets of Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka (file photo) (RFE/RL)

May 31, 2006 -- A top Council of Europe (COE) official says the organization needs Russia's support in its efforts to resume dialogue with Belarus.

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May 31, 2006

Rene van der Linden, the head of the COE's Parliamentary Assembly, made the comment in Tallinn, Estonia, today in an interview with the Associated Press.

He said there is no solution possible for Belarus without Russia.

Belarus has faced international isolation since its authoritarian leader President Alyaksandr Lukashenka was reelected to a third term in March polls, which were condemned as fraudulent by the opposition and Western countries.

The former Soviet nation has been slapped with European Union and U.S. sanctions. Lukashenka and other key government figures also face the seizure of their assets and a travel ban.

(AP)

The EU Watches Minsk

Belarusian students studying at an EU-funded university in Vilnius, Lithuania

WATCHING AND WAITING: The European Union repeatedly urged Minsk to conduct a fair and democratic presidential election on March 19. The EU external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said in a statement today that the recent arrests of Belarusian opposition figures are "unacceptable" campaign violations. Ferrero-Waldner repeated an EU threat of "targeted sanctions" against top Belarusian officials if the elections are not free and fair. However, the EU will withhold final judgment until March 20, when the bloc's foreign ministers meet in Brussels....(more)

Belarus: Oppositionist Seeks EU Support For 'Revolution Of Hope'

Belarus: EU Foreign Ministers Meet With Opposition Leader

Belarus: EU Bolsters Support For Opposition Ahead Of Vote

Click on the image to view a dedicated page with news, analysis, and background information about the Belarusian presidential ballot.

MEET THE CANDIDATES: Read brief biographies of the four candidates in the March 19 election.

Syarhey Haydukevich

Alyaksandr Kazulin

Alyaksandr Lukashenka

Alyaksandr Milinkevich

Click on the image to view RFE/RL's coverage of the election campaign in Belarusian and to listen to RFE/RL's Belarusian Service.

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