BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

16/05/2006

Belarus Prez Reaffirms Sovereignty

Minsk, May 16 (Prensa Latina) President Alexander Lukashenko reiterated Tuesday that Belarus is an independent country and will defend its sovereignty in the face of a US and Western campaign to discredit this nation.

"Belarus will never give up its independence, and we are a State," Lukashenko emphasized.

The president made the statement shortly after Great Britain?s Financial Times daily announced the European Union decision to freeze the foreign bank accounts of Lukashenko and other government officials.

Lukashenko said this was totally ridiculous, adding that the European politicians could keep the alleged accounts if its existence is ever proven.

EU authorities have been preparing a package of sanctions as reprisal for Lukashenko?s 83 percent win in the March elections, alleging election fraud and lack of democracy.

The vice chairman of the Russian Duma Foreign Affairs Committee, Natalia Narochnitsa, asserted that the West is hysterical because Belarus does not follow US commands.

The also PhD in history sciences affirmed that Belarus is the only sovereign State in Europe, even from the economic point of view.

Source:

http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B970FD5B8-E650-4410-8DD4-77D96E7CFF85%7D)&language=EN