DATE:
13/01/2006
JAN. 13 1:30 P.M. ET Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko accused the United States and Europe of hindering his country's efforts to join the World Trade Organization, the authoritarian leader's latest criticism of the West.
After a meeting with Amina C. Mohamed, who chairs the WTO's governing general council, Lukashenko said talks with the trade-rules group were proceeding "not without difficulties."
"You know why and you know with which countries: I want to stress again that because of a policy of double standards, it is very hard to talk with western Europe and the United States," he said, adding that Belarus is "counting on support from the WTO leadership."
Mohamed stressed that it is difficult to join the WTO and that for some countries, negotiations on entrance to the organization have taken up to 15 years. Under WTO rules, each member has the right to seek its own trade deal with a candidate before approving that candidate's membership.
Lukashenko, who is running for a third term as president in March, has made himself an outcast in the West, ruling his nation of 10 million with an iron hand, relentlessly stifling dissent and critical media outlets. Top U.S. officials call him Europe's last dictator.
Source:
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8F3V3NO6.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db
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