BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

03/02/2006

Belarus bans two top EU, U.S. envoys

BRUSSELS, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Europe and the United States Friday reacted furiously to a decision by Belarus to ban two top EU and U.S. officials from visiting the country.

Brussels and Washington had planned to send senior EU diplomat Robert Cooper and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Dan Fried to Minsk to convey American and European concerns about upcoming elections. But after Belarusian authorities refused to grant the two envoys visas to travel simultaneously, the trip was cancelled.

Voters in Belarus are due to go to the polls on Mar. 19, but the election campaign has already been marred by intimidation of opposition candidates and a virtual government news monopoly of the media. Communist President Alexander Lukashenko, dubbed 'Europe's last dictator' by The White House, is running for a third term in office.

In joint statement published Friday, the United States and the 25-member European Union said: "We are both disappointed by the failure of the Belarusian authorities to take this opportunity to engage in an open and frank dialogue with the international community."

The two powers added that they would "act accordingly" if "current undemocratic practices persist."

Source:

http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20060203-020256-5427r