BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

16/01/2006

Lukashenko Lashes Out Over WTO

The Associated Press

MINSK -- Belarussian 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 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 was "counting on support from the WTO leadership."

Mohamed stressed that it was difficult to join the WTO and that for some countries, negotiations on entrance to the organization had 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 and relentlessly stifling dissent and critical media outlets.

Source:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/01/16/045.html

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