BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT SLAMS U.S. OVER SANCTIONS President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said on March 18 that the United States is stirring up tensions with regard to Belarus by its economic sanctions against the country's largest petrochemical company, Belnaftakhim, Belapan reported. "In violation of its commitments under a December 1994 memorandum on security guarantees in connection with Belarus's accession to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the U.S. introduced and then expanded sanctions against the enterprises of Belnaftakhim, thereby revealing its cynical attitude toward international law," Lukashenka said. He also said that the United States violated its commitment not to apply measures of economic compulsion in exchange for the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus. "We did that and signed that memorandum," Lukashenka said. "The U.S., Russia, and other states then pledged that owing to this humane act, they would treat our country accordingly, support it by every possible means and in no way apply any measures [against Belarus] in the economic and other spheres. Little time has passed and what do we see in reality? And what has Belnaftakhim to do with it? What has democratization to do with it?" However, Lukashenka admitted that the sanctions are not fatal to Belarus. "We lived before, live now under their so-called sanctions, and will continue to live," he added. In November 2007, the U.S. Treasury Department froze all assets under U.S. jurisdiction belonging to Belnaftakhim and its representatives, and barred Americans from doing business with the company, which it says is controlled by Lukashenka. On March 7, Minsk recalled its ambassador to the United States, Mikhail Khvastou, for consultations and urged U.S. Ambassador Karen Stewart to temporarily leave Belarus, which she did on March 12. On March 17, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry also "recommended" the U.S. Embassy cut its staff. AM
WASHINGTON DOES NOT EXPECT TO SEVER DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH BELARUS U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said on March 17 that Washington does not expect Minsk to sever bilateral diplomatic relations and shut down the U.S. Embassy in Belarus, according to the State Department's website. "Obviously, Belarus, like any other country, is free to determine how it wishes to manage its diplomatic relations with us or with other countries," Casey said. "We, of course, have said that we believe it's important and think it's appropriate for us to have senior-level representation in Belarus, among other things, to continue to press for the release of [former presidential candidate Alyaksandr] Kazulin and work on other human rights issues there," he added. The deputy head of the U.S. mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Kyle Scott, has said in Vienna that the U.S. sanctions against Belnaftakhim and some persons "undermining democratic processes and institutions in Belarus" do not violate obligations that the United States took by signing the Helsinki Final Act. "Our actions are fully consistent with our OSCE obligations and commitments and are taken in support of the Belarusian people," Scott said. "Commitments undertaken in the human dimension of the OSCE are matters of direct and legitimate concern of all participating states and do not belong exclusively to the internal affairs of the state concerned." He added that the United States is "particularly baffled by the charge that our action is designed to further some illegitimate interest or infringe upon the sovereignty of the government of Belarus." AM
BELARUSIAN AUTHORITIES JAIL ACTIVIST OVER SOLIDARITY WITH TIBET A Minsk district court on March 18 sentenced youth activist Pavel Kuryanovich to 15 days in jail for participating in an unsanctioned demonstration in front of the Chinese Embassy in Minsk, Belapan reported. Six youth activists on March 17 unfolded English-language signs saying "Free Tibet," waved the Tibetan and Belarusian historic white-red-white flag that was banned by President Lukashenka, and shouted slogans such as "Freedom to Tibet!" and "China, stop terror!" The demonstration lasted for several minutes until police interfered, detaining Kuryanovich and Palina Dyakava. The latter, as a minor, was released later the same day. AM
UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES BILL ON CABINET, RESOLUTION ON KYIV MAYORAL ELECTIONS The Verkhovna Rada on March 18 passed a bill on the Cabinet of Ministers in the first reading and a resolution on early elections for Kyiv mayor, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reported. Both laws were supported by the coalition of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense bloc (NUNS) as well as the Lytvyn bloc. The bill on the Cabinet of Ministers was submitted to parliament by President Viktor Yushchenko and provides for the strengthening of the president's authority at the cost of the government. In particular, it gives ministers the right to nominate their deputies, but it deprives the prime minister of the right to coordinate the activities of ministries and other executive institutions. The bill subordinates the government to decisions adopted by the National Security and Defense Council and approved by the president. The resolution on the early mayoral elections for Kyiv was approved immediately after a government investigative commission reported on the activities of the Kyiv authorities. The election must be held within 70 days from the publication of the resolution. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko recently accused the Kyiv authorities of corruption and threatened that the BYuT would boycott meetings of the Verkhovna Rada until it approved the preterm election. Tymoshenko finally agreed to consider the bill on the Cabinet of Ministers provided that the resolution on the mayoral election was also included on the agenda. AM
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