BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:01 AM ET6

US official urges action with Europe on Belarus

BERLIN (Reuters) - A senior U.S. official called on Monday for action by Europe and the United States to combat political repression in Belarus, which he said was becoming as severe as in the former Soviet Union.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried said he would be discussing Belarus and the government of President Alexander Lukashenko in a series of meetings with German officials.

"It's been called Europe's last dictatorship. It is on the borders of the European Union. It is a place where increasingly and sadly Soviet levels of political repression are becoming more and more apparent," he told reporters at the U.S. embassy.

"This is a tragedy for the Belarussian people. Europe and the United States have a responsibility to do what they can to help," Fried said.

Fried gave no details of what he thought the European Union and United States should do.

The EU has already introduced visa bans for some Belarus officials and last week threatened further sanctions possibly including asset freezes for those deemed responsible for undemocratic practices.

Belarus became an independent state in 1992, like other former Soviet republics, but has seen its relations with the West grow steadily worse since Lukashenko, who wants to reunite his country with Russia, came to office in 1994.

The United States accuses Lukashenko of crackdowns on dissent, poll manipulation and adherence to Soviet-era economics.

Lukashenko denies allegations that his administration has undermined fundamental rights. He says he has spared his 10 million people the uncertainties of other post-Soviet states and accuses the West of waging an "information war" on Belarus.

Source:

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-11-14T140050Z_01_MOL450428_RTRUKOC_0_US-BELARUS-USA.xml&archived=False