BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

25/05/2006

Belarus Bans US and Canadian Aircraft Landing in Belarus

By Cihan News Agency, Minsk

Government spokesman for Belarus, a former the Soviet country, said in exchange for the western ban on Belarus leaders visiting western countries, the Minsk administration has imposed a ban against Unite States and Canadian aircraft landing Belarus.

Last month, the United States and Canada refused a Belarus air craft carrying Belarus President Alexander Lukashenka to land forcing it to return to Cuba.

At a news briefing, Belerus government spokesman Andrei Popov said the ban decision was taken in response to the actions applied by both countries towards Belarus; he reminded that the ban includes only the United States and Canada.

The United States and Western countries had earlier declared that the elections conducted in Belarus were not democratic and refused to recognize the outcome of the elections, saying that Lukashenka's totalitarian attitudes can not be supported.

European Union countries and the United States administration imposed sanctions, which included refusing permission for officials from Belarus to visit those countries.

Although the opposition that emerged in the elections was being evaluated as an anti-Western push by Russia, Lukashenka was given support.

For further information please visit http://www.cihannews.com

Source:

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=hotnews&alt=&trh=20060525&hn=33415