Kiev residents protest eccentric mayor Mar 27, 2009
Ukraine's competitive elections for president, parliament and Kiev mayor are a testament to the level of democracy in this former Soviet state of 46 million, a sharp contrast to the carefully managed elections in neighboring Russia and Belarus. But many Kiev residents have had enough, saying Chernovetsky's bizarre policies were bad before but have become unbearable during an economic crisis that is one of the worst in Europe. (AZCentral -- News)
The baleful BrettonWoods legacy Mar 18, 2009
3 billion, is to the wholly unreformed communist dictatorship of Belarus ... Countries with rich friends have no need of the IMF. Belarus can prop up its dictatorship using Russian taxpayers' money and oil revenues. (Asia Times Online)
EU offers compromise to Belarus Mar 17, 2009
European Union foreign ministers have agreed a compromise deal on the EU's relations with Belarus ... "The European Union remains ready to deepen its relations with Belarus, subject to progress made by Belarus," a statement said ... Belarus's foreign ministry gave a guarded welcome to the move, but said the EU should go further "with a full lifting of all restrictions". (BBC News -- Europe)
South Africa: United States May Boycott UN Racism Conference Mar 4, 2009
Created in 2006 to replace the discredited U.N. Commission on Human Rights, the council has been widely criticized for its repeated refusal to take action against documented abuses in Zimbabwe, North Korea, Iran, Belarus and Cuba. (See "Human Rights Report Sees Worldwide Demand for Greater Freedom"). (allAfrica.com)
`New Europe' Longs for Bush as Obama Returns Focus to Old Allies, Russia Mar 3, 2009
The IMF has already bailed out Latvia, Hungary, Serbia, Belarus and Ukraine ... It promised to lend Belarus $2 billion in November to bolster its economy and has already paid out the first half, Deputy Finance Minister said on Jan. 24. (Bloomberg)
Russia's ruling party claims support Mar 2, 2009
Communist Party Central Committee chairman Pyotr Romanov said United Russia's behavior in the western region of Bryansk bordering Belarus suggested foul play on a grand scale. "Tonight we are duty bound to shout about large-scale falsifications," he told Reuters last night. (Boston Globe)
Kremlin faces local vote test; opposition cries foul Mar 1, 2009
3 million people near Russia's border with Belarus and Ukraine. At a polling station in the regional capital Bryansk, 380 km southwest of Moscow, 70-year-old Kira Alexandrova had come straight from her work as a night janitor in a school to vote for the Communists. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Don't push the reset button yet Feb 26, 2009
It initiated a joint air-and-missile defense system with Belarus, which may cost billions. It also announced the creation of a $10 billion stabilization fund for the CIS countries, most of which ($7. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Belarus I: An artful balancing act Feb 24, 2009
Compared with most former Soviet states, Belarus has a lot going for it ... Belarus has no oligarchs, since the state never sold its big companies, and social inequalities are low ... Belarussians think their country is quite well-run and, as some of them put it, "almost Baltic.". (International Herald Tribune)
Exploding three myths Feb 24, 2009
As my colleagues at the Belarus Foreign Ministry and I engage with our counterparts in Brussels in anticipation of the European Union's planned new Eastern Partnership program, I want to tackle the misconceptions that still surround my country ... Nonetheless, many people in Western Europe cannot help but be influenced by a public discourse that applies negative and fundamentally wrong-headed stereotypes to Belarus ... There are three great myths that attach themselves to nearly all Western... (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Election Puzzle Feb 18, 2009
Then, in a take-it-or-leave-it gesture, Lieberman, who has extensive business interests in Eastern Europe, flew off on what he said was a vacation to Belarus, a country not known for its tourist attractions, leaving the follow-up coalition feelers in the hands of Stas Misezhnikov, a respected Yisrael Beiteinu legislator who made his mark in the outgoing Knesset as head of the key Finance Committee. Lieberman's business dealings have attracted police attention, and he has been under investigation... (Jerusalem Post, Israel)
Hollywood A-Listers Prove Ignorance in Supporting... Mar 31, 2008
Whether by embracing Iran's leader, cozying up to Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko or even supporting Saddam Hussein by becoming the last elected leader to visit him in Iraq Chavez will do the opposite of President Bush and the American government. After calling George W. Bush the "greatest tyrant in the world," Harry Belafonte declared to Chavez: "Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people... support your revolution.". (Fox News)
Newsweek: What kind of president would McCain be? Mar 31, 2008
He thought the German was being insufficiently tough on the brutal regime in Belarus. Raising his voice at Steinmeierwho's known for speaking in unclear diplomateseMcCain "started shaking and rising out of his chair," said one participant, a former senior diplomatic official who related the anecdote on condition of anonymity. (MSNBC -- Politics)
11 comments Mar 20, 2008
He met with Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko and called for a strategic alliance between the two countries. He met with Vladimir Putin and purchased $3 billion in Russian arms, including fighter jets, military helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles. (Human Events Online)
Clinton's 1993 NAFTA Meeting... Mar 20, 2008
Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior National Correspondent Jake Tapper. is ABC News' Senior National Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. (The Drudge Report)
* Belarus president hires UK spin doctor Mar 19, 2008
Belarus president hires UK spin doctor ... But Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus' autocratic president, has come up with a solution to overcome his pariah status: He has hired veteran British spin doctor Tim Bell ... The PR guru, who is better known for masterminding Margaret Thatcher's election campaigns, was invited to come up with a strategy to improve Belarus's dismal image. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
PR challengeIs Lady Thatcher's ex-adviser ready to tackle 'Europe's last dictator'? Mar 19, 2008
Thatcher adviser mulls Belarus role ... Belarus has been involved in a diplomatic spat with the US ... Now he is hoping to secure a new client - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko. (BBC News -- Europe)
Putin says relations with West won't be easier under Medvedev Mar 10, 2008
9 trillion cubic feet, of gas annually from the Russian port of Vyborg to the German port of Greifswald, bypassing current routes through Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. It has provoked strong opposition in Poland and the Baltic countries, but the EU has backed the project, saying the pipeline would increase energy security for the EU.. (International Herald Tribune)
Merkel in Moscow for talks Mar 9, 2008
The pipeline is expected carry 55 billion cubic metres of gas annually from the northwestern Russian port of Vyborg to the northern German port of Greifswald, bypassing current routes through Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. The relationship between Medvedev and Merkel, who previously met at a 2006 trade fair in Hanover, is likely to play a key role in relations between the two countries and with the EU. Merkel, who has in the past criticised Putin over human rights, has also sought to boost trade... (Aljazeera.Net)
Dark days for Armenia's democracy Mar 8, 2008
Compared to post-Soviet tyrannies like Belarus or Uzbekistan, Armenia may not look so bad. That is why it is so important to halt this slide into authoritarianism before it is too late. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Why Europe needs Russian gas Mar 5, 2008
Gazprom has embarked on plans for pipelines that bypass Ukraine and Belarus, former Soviet states which are currently essential for transit. Gazprom has two major projects, Nord Stream and South Stream. (BBC News -- Europe)
Belarus refuses to free dissident Mar 4, 2008
Belarus has refused UN and European Union entreaties to release Alexander Kozulin, a jailed opposition leader ... On Monday, Vladimir Naumov, Belarus's interior minister, said there was "no reason" to release Kozulin, who returned to prison last week after the funeral ... In 2006, he refused food for 53 days to draw attention to human rights violations in Belarus. (Aljazeera.Net)
Russia reduces gas supplies to Ukraine Mar 3, 2008
Gazprom has often threatened to cut gas supplies during previous pricing disputes with former Soviet neighbours Ukraine and Belarus, but the threat is materialising only for a second time after the landmark cut in the New Year of 2006. That brief disruption cut supplies to Gazprom's west European customers, making them wary of any hint of a new row. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
East: The Leader for Life Governance Model Mar 1, 2008
In Belarus, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who first came to power in 1994, engineered a vote in October 2004 that removed presidential term limits ... With restraints no longer in place, the Belarusian leader has signaled his intention to run again in 2011. (EurasiaNet.org)
Medvedev Will Confront West on NATO, Missiles With a `More Measured' Tone Feb 29, 2008
Analysts said that means he is likely to continue opposing attempts by Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO while also supporting Uzbekistan's Islam Karimov and Belarus's Alexander Lukashenko. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice once called Belarus Europe's ``last dictatorship,'' while Western nations imposed sanctions on Uzbekistan after its army killed at least 187 anti-government protesters in Andijan in May 2005. (Bloomberg -- Europe)
* World News Quick Take Feb 26, 2008
Taipei Times - archives. Enter your search terms. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Barack Obama: A Human Hallmark Card For President? Feb 15, 2008
Keep in mind: we don't live in Sudan, Mexico, Afghanistan, Belarus or some other hellhole where the biggest hope most people have is to leave; we live in the United States of America. Millions of people come here every year and millions more are waiting to get here because this country represents hope and opportunity to people across the world. (Townhall.com)
Gas 'truce'Will a last-ditch gas deal between Ukraine and Russia last? Feb 14, 2008
At the end of 2006, the giant Russian company Gazprom also threatened Belarus. And these are not just empty gestures, a form of brinkmanship never intended to be implemented. (BBC News -- Europe)
Welcome to theatreland Feb 13, 2008
Banned by the state, the Free Theatre of Belarus performs in secret locations and texts the venue to audiences ... The young woman's T-shirt announces the reason for our clandestine visit: The Free Theatre of Belarus ... Their performances are forbidden by Belarus's restrictive regime, which controls every aspect of life in the country, in a manner that has barely changed since the days when it was part of the Soviet Union. (Guardian Unlimited)
A Gas Ultimatum for Ukraine Feb 9, 2008
"Most likely, it will accuse either Ukraine, or Belarus, or both or any other transitor of diverting its transits," Krutikhin says. If, indeed, Gazprom is running short of gas, the Ukraine price-hike could be just the beginning of a turbulent season on gas markets. (Time.com)
Putin's man takes chance to stress continuity Feb 4, 2008
The widely televised gestures involving Dmitry Medvedev eclipsed the official reason for the occasion -- an informal visit to Sochi by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Medvedev has shunned regular campaigning for the March 2 election, which he is expected to win overwhelmingly, but the 42-year-old first deputy prime minister has instead appeared repeatedly alongside Putin during business meetings and trips. (Reuters)
'Undertaker' close to power in Serbia Feb 2, 2008
"Will Serbia become the Belarus of the Balkans? Perhaps it will. Perhaps it needs to go through a period of rule by the [extremist] Radicals. It will set the country back five years," said an EU official dealing with the Balkans. Nikolic underlined his pan-Slav appeal by campaigning this week in Moscow escorted by Milosevic's brother, Borislav, and being treated to audiences with Russia's present and future presidents, Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Group pans authoritarian rule Feb 1, 2008
Interfering with opposition candidates: Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories, Libya, Turkmenistan, Uganda. Political violence: Cambodia, Congo, Ethiopia, Lebanon. (Yahoo News -- Politics)
Text of Bush's final State of the Union Jan 30, 2008
America is opposing genocide in Sudan and supporting freedom in countries from Cuba and Zimbabwe to Belarus and Burma. America is leading the fight against global poverty, with strong education initiatives and humanitarian assistance. (Yahoo News -- Politics)
Bush: Stay confident on economy Jan 29, 2008
Bush lays out modest agenda for final year of his presidency - 01/28/2008 - MiamiHerald (The Miami Herald)
The Man Who Learned Too Little Jan 29, 2008
"And supporting freedom in countries from Cuba and Zimbabwe to Belarus and Burma," he added, without saying how we're doing that or in what way any of those countries is central in the war on terrorism. "In the Holy Land we have new cause for hope," the president said. (Slate)
Text of the speech Jan 29, 2008
America is opposing genocide in Sudan and supporting freedom in countries from Cuba and Zimbabwe to Belarus and Burma. Fighting poverty. (AZCentral -- News)
State of the Union Address by President Bush Jan 29, 2008
We support freedom in countries from Cuba and Zimbabwe to Belarus and Burma. (Applause. (PR Newswire)
RAW DATA: Bush's State of the Union Speech Jan 29, 2008
" Members of Congress: Having come so far and achieved so much, we must not allow this to happen. In the coming year, we will work with Iraqi leaders as they build on the progress they are making toward political reconciliation. At the local level, Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds are beginning to come together to reclaim their communities and rebuild their lives. Progress in the provinces must be matched by progress in Baghdad. And we are seeing some encouraging signs. The national government is sharing... (Fox News)
Emulating the EU, countries join forces Jan 23, 2008
But now, even London seems to see a more formidable and real threat to energy security coming from Russia, especially since West Europeans felt the aftershocks of Moscow's energy disputes with Ukraine in 2006 and Belarus in 2007. EU policy makers are seeking not just a common energy strategy but also an agreement on the extent to which the Russian state-owned giant Gazprom should be allowed to buy into the EU energy market. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
Human rights group finds freedom declined last year in 1 in 5 countries Jan 16, 2008
Three of the countries in the region, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, have consistently ranked among the world's most repressive societies, Freedom House said. Modest gains in the Middle East, where President Bush focused his hopes for democratic change, came to an end last year, the report said, with major declines in both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli-occupied territories. (North County Times)
Anti-War Billionaire George Soros Funded Iraq Study Jan 14, 2008
He is an anti-communist and has funded the democratic color-named revolutions successfully in Ukraine, Georgia and has put a lot of money unsuccessfully into opening up the societies of Russia and Belarus. He is hated by the Russian government, who miss-call him in their press a Jewish CIA agent. (Newsmax)
New lyrics for Spain's national anthem face a tough sell Jan 14, 2008
"It could be about any country, Belarus, Lithuania, Spain. It would make a good theme tune for the Eurovision Song Contest," he added, referring to the annual European pop gala. In what could signal a hard fight for parliamentary approval, Jos. (International Herald Tribune)
Armenia, Azerbaijan Mull CFE Treaty Withdrawal in Year of "Many Uncertainties" for OSCE Jan 8, 2008
The United Nations Register of Conventional Arms shows that these items were purchased from Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia. Armenia has not declared any new acquisitions to the UN Register since 2005, when it reported purchasing 10 Russian-made Su-25 combat aircraft from Slovakia the year before. (EurasiaNet.org)
Kozloff: Return of the Faux Liberal Jan 5, 2008
Located in a nondescript building along Neptune Avenue, Nadlers Brooklyn office is located near such local businesses as the Belarus convenience store. . (Zmag.org)
Tensions mount by the shores of the Black Sea Jan 3, 2008
(This occurred briefly in 2006, during a dispute between Russia and Belarus over pipeline rights, and caused a sizable shock. As a result, the supplies of petroleum and gas from the Adriatic Sea through Azerbaijan and from Iran are considered vital. (Globe and Mail -- International)
Declaring Forever War Dec 20, 2007
We have only to look at Belarus or the Palestinian elections. Holmes still maintains that we went to war in Iraq exclusively to prevent Saddam from developing weapons of mass destruction and to disrupt his links with al-Qaeda. (The American Conservative)
He'll Take It Dec 18, 2007
Monday's announcement came a few days after Putin led a Russian delegation to neighboring Belarus, to discuss long-stalled plans for a merger of the two former Soviet nations. Some analysts said Putin hoped to become the president of the new, united Belarus and Russia ... But the talks in the Belarus capital of Minsk apparently made little headway. (Fox News)
Putin Says He'll Be Prime Minister... Dec 18, 2007
Monday's announcement came a few days after Putin led a delegation to the neighboring Belarus, to discuss long-stalled plans for a merger of Russia and the former Soviet republic. Those talks apparently made little headway. (The Drudge Report)
Belarus says US sanctions illegal Dec 18, 2007
WASHINGTON - Belarus' ambassador said Monday the United States was violating an agreement it signed in 1994 by maintaining economic sanctions against his country ... Mikhail Khvostov pointed to a "memorandum of security assurances" signed by the two countries after Belarus pledged to be a non-nuclear state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ... U.S. authorities leveled sanctions this year against Belarus' state-controlled oil-processing and chemicals company, Belneftekhim, freezing its... (Yahoo News -- Politics)
Russia and Belarus deny merger plan Dec 15, 2007
Russia and Belarus have dismissed suggestions that a meeting in Minsk between their leaders was a prelude to forming a single state. Talks between Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and Alexander Lukashenko, his Belarusian counterpart, began on Friday, fueling speculation that Putin was set on becoming president of a combined state ... Other subjects discussed included Washington's planned missile defence shield in Eastern Europe with Belarus declaring it was ready to "play its role" if the... (Aljazeera.Net)
Putin could become leader of a land larger than Russia with addition of Belarus Dec 13, 2007
MOSCOW Vladimir Putin could become the leader of a land even larger than Russia a development that may hinge on talks beginning Thursday in neighboring Belarus ... Putin heads to the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on Thursday for discussions of a framework for the long-debated union, fleshing out an existing agreement that has meant little in practice ... A merger of Russia and Belarus could allow Putin to leave the Russian presidency as promised in May yet still remain a chief of state. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
Putin backs Medvedev for presidency Dec 11, 2007
Putin to lead Russia, BelarusCommunist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov suggested another possibility, noting that Russia has recently shown increased interest in long-dormant plans to form a union state of Russia and Belarus ... Putin is to travel to Minsk for meetings with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday. (MSNBC -- International)
Leader: Putin's man gets Putin's job Dec 11, 2007
It is debatable whether even Gazprom's threats to cut gas supplies to Ukraine and Belarus were his alone. As deputy minister he has been put in charge of four projects to reform the health services, education, community services and agriculture. (Guardian Unlimited)
Putin's backing of 'strong' candidate surprises European experts Dec 11, 2007
Last week's reports cited sources in the Belarusian president's administration as saying Putin could head the union Russia and Belarus have been trying to establish since 1997 after he steps down as president ... Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko would be parliamentary speaker in the new state, according to earlier media reports. (Yahoo News -- Russia)
Deadline draws near for Putin to bare his choice Dec 11, 2007
" By demonstrating his popular support, Putin avoids a lame-duck tag and can use his continuing clout to squash emerging internecine battles, analysts said. Putin has insisted repeatedly that he will respect the Constitution. But he also said he intends to maintain what he calls "moral authority" in Russia. "Definitely his role will be very important, and definitely his very deep expertise and his very rich experience and his political talent will be in high demand," said Kremlin spokesman... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
Rumors fly of Russia-Belarus union Dec 10, 2007
MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin may be about to unveil a political bombshell: a full-scale union between Russia and its smaller Slavic neighbor Belarus ... Citing Kremlin sources, the independent Ekho Moskvy radio station reported Friday that Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will sign a union treaty during Putin's two-day visit to Minsk this week ... A Kremlin spokesman said the report came "from the realm of speculative fantasies," though he did not deny that the... (AZCentral -- News)
Putin eyes Belarus merger Dec 10, 2007
Putin will visit Minsk this week and may unveil a plan to unite Russia and its neighbor Belarus ... Putin eyes full merger with Belarus ... MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin may be about to unveil a political bombshell: a full-scale union between Russia and its smaller Slavic neighbor Belarus. (Christian Science Monitor)
Disillusionment and anger Dec 8, 2007
Since his surprise election in 2005, Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has widely been seen in the west as a dangerous demagogue with an alarming anti-Semitic streak, a man determined to take his country into a bruising showdown with the US. His jarring style of anti-diplomacy has alienated virtually every country bar his declared allies in Cuba, Belarus, Venezuela and Syria. On the one hand, his repeated collisions with the west have played to a rising wave of nationalism at home, and to the... (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Outcast Kasparov still squaring up to Putin Dec 8, 2007
Last night there was also speculation - denied by the Kremlin - that Putin could become president of a newly merged union between Russia and neighbouring Belarus. So what will Putin do next. (Guardian Unlimited)
Russia and Belarus to discuss prospects for their union Dec 6, 2007
Russia and Belarus are expected to discuss the future of their alliance at a meeting next week in Minsk, officials said Thursday. Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, were planning to consider a draft constitution for a Russia-Belarus union at their Dec. 13-14 meeting in the Belarusian capital, Lukashenko's office said ... Russia and Belarus signed a union agreement in 1996 which envisaged close political, economic and military ties and eventual... (International Herald Tribune -- Sports)
Putin's Landslide Takes Russia Back to the Cold War Dec 5, 2007
Some speculate Putin could find other outlets for his ambition to remain engaged: he could become the head of Gazprom, the largest Russian company and the biggest extractor of natural gas in the world, or seek a diplomatic position that links Russia with other autocratic regimes like Belarus and Kazakstan or he could even become the president of International Olympic Committee (the next OIC elections will be held in 2009). Some have proposed that Putin become Russia s national leader similar to... (Human Events Online)
Russia vote 'not fair,' say Europeans Dec 5, 2007
" But in a series of blunt assessments, Western observers said stability has been achieved at the cost of political pluralism and competition. "Measured by our standards, this wasn't a free, fair and democratic election," Thomas Steg, a spokesman for the German government, said at a news conference Monday in Berlin. The observers also expressed astonishment that a sitting president headed a party list in a parliamentary election, calling it unprecedented. Opposition parties, including the... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Politics)
Rice Won't Respond Directly to Ahmadinejad Dec 5, 2007
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, meets a delegation from Defenders of Freedom of Republic of Belarus, Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta). (Rhinelander Daily News, WI)
Russians looking to live it up even more as economy glitters Nov 29, 2007
If she saves, she says, she can travel to see family in Belarus every year or two. "I'm not bad off," she says. (USA Today -- Money)
