BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

16/08/2007

Poland's Deputy senate speaker not allowed to enter Belarus

Poland's Deputy Senate Speaker Krzysztof Putra (Law and Justice -- PiS) was denied entry to Belarus on Wednesday.

Later in the same day, Poland's opposite party Civic Platform leader Donald Tusk was not allowed in Belarus either.

The two politicians were planning to attend ceremonies marking the Polish Army Day in Grodno organized by the Union of Poles in Belarus.

Putra told PAP news agency no explanation of the negative decision was provided by the Belarussian services.

He said he was crossing the border together with Poland's Consul to Grodno Andrzej Kretowski and deputy head of the Senate Chancellery Romuald Lanczkowski, who was allowed to cross the border.

The Deputy Senate Speaker said the Belarussian authorities' decision "meant the harassing of the Polish side represented by the high ranking official."

He stressed that his visit to Belarus was not of political nature.

Belarussian Ambassador to Poland Pavel Latushka was summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry to explain why Deputy Senate Speaker Putra and Civic Platform leader Tusk were denied visas to enter Belarus, Foreign Ministry spokesman Robert Szaniawski said.

Szaniawski told PAP the Polish side could hardly accept the fact that Polish citizens were refused visas without any reason.

He added that such situations were inadmissible if they involved representatives of the Polish authorities including members of the Polish parliament.

In a communique sent to PAP the Belarussian embassy reported that on August 11, 13 and 14 Belarussian Ambassador Pavel Latushka met with Putra and Civic Platform's member of Parliament to tell them that they would not receive Belarussian visas as people on a list of "persona non grata" in this country.

According to the Belarussian side, the arrival of Polish politicians to Belarus would not serve well the striking up of a constructive Polish-Belarusian dialogue.

Source: Xinhua

Source:

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6240794.html