BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12 August 2005

Lukashenka: Polish Radio Into Belarus 'A Waste Of Time'

12 August 2005 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka today said that a Polish plan to broadcast independent radio news to his country was "a waste of time."

Lukashenka said the planned radio programming "will have zero effect because Belarusians approve of the way the country is being run."

Poland announced earlier this week that it planned to start radio broadcasts to Belarusians who have no access to independent media.

The $40 million project is to be funded by the European Union. Belarus television channel Bel-1 reported the plan included setting up transmitters along Belarus's northern border with Lithuania.

Lukashenka said "the main practical result will be to give a few officials in these countries [Poland and Lithuania] a bit of cash, but otherwise the money is being thrown away on the wind."

(dpa)

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/08/143c1faa-260d-45db-86bb-92b5dc0b8bba.html