EC Resolution for Belarus

2nd April in Brussels the European parliament adopted the new resolution on Belarus. 594 deputies voted for the resolution, 19 – against, 38 – abstain from it. 

The main points of the new resolution are reforming of the electoral law to provide membership for opposition in electoral commissions; to provide equal rights for Mass-Media particularly to stop a ban for subscribe of independent newspapers. As well the Europarliament expect s Belarusian authority will annul provisions in the law which use for pursuit of journalists. 
The deputies demands to guarantee freedom of associations, meetings and religions. It’s necessary to stop discharges, student’s expulsions because of political views. One point is to return the European State University from Vilnius to Minsk. The Brussels expects that Belarus will declare a moratorium of death penalty. The parliament says about violence against human rights. The officials immediately call to let out the social activists: Mikalay Autuhovich, Yuri Liavonau, Uladzimir Asipenka, Artem Dubski.
The European parliament expects Belarus will realize this and others terms during 9 months. 

The Day of “Separation”

2nd April 1996 Belarus and Russia signed an agreement about “creation of union state”. Now this day is called the Day of a unification of Belarusian and Russian peoples. In this year the celebration will be damaged by some factors. 

The first factor: Belarus else has not recognized independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Minsk puts off the final decision and is not going to do it in the near future. 
The second factor: Russia refused to give 100-billion’s credit to Belarus. It means that Moscow waits strong actions from Belarus. 
The third: By-turn Belarus switched off the Russian international TV-channels. It can make worse relationships between the countries. 

The Chinese TV-channel replaces Russian channels in Belarus

1st April broadcasting Russian TV-channels REN-TV, 1 channel international, TVC-International, RTR-Planet, NTV-world are stopped in Belarus. The Ministry of Information says that all international TV-channels need to receive the permit to broadcast in the country. The Russian channels have not done it.  

Today it became known that 6th April these channels will be replaced by Chinese TV. Some Russian programs often play a joke on the President; this is ruled out on Chinese TV. Beijing said that programs will be broadcasted in Russian in the end of 2009. 

Russia refuses to give the new credit

Belarus wants to receive the new credit in the rate of 100 billion rubles from Russia. Minsk promises Moscow to go over to reckoning in Russian rubles in exchange for that. But Russia refused to give the new credit. During 2009 Belarus has received $2 billion. Else $2 billion The International Currency Fund will lend to Belarus during 2009. Belarus asked $2 billion from Russian banks as well.  

Belarus doesn’t recognize independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Belarus is not going to recognize independence of the self-proclaimed republics in the near future. Earlier the high-ranking officials of the country said that the question will be solved on April 2nd. But it became known that the question of recognition of independence is not included in the spring’s session of the parliament. 
Such behavior of Belarus is quite understandable. At this moment relationships between Belarus and EU are improving. To declare independence is meant to accept of the Russian side. Belarus is included in the European program “The Eastern Partnership”. The independence recognition can exclude Minsk from the program that will even more worsen the dialog between EU and Belarus. The high-ranking officials from Brussels declared it many times. By-turn Russia says that EU puts pressure on Minsk. 
In May the summit will take place in Prague in which EU’s countries and memberships of program “The Eastern Partnership” will take part. It is necessary to believe that Belarus will not declare independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia till the summit will be finished.