BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

31/05/2006

Belarus ban only affects government flights from Canada, U.S.

CBC News

Only government flights from Canada and the United States will be banned from entering Belarus's airspace while civilian ones can continue, an official from the former Soviet republic clarified on Wednesday.

* INDEPTH: Belarus - Europe's last autocracy

President Alexander Lukashenko announced plans for the ban after the United States and Canada both refused to allow a diplomatic flight from Belarus to land and refuel in mid-April.

The extent of the ban hadn't been made clear until Wednesday, when a spokesperson for the Belarusian foreign military department said it only applied to official delegations.

* FROM MAY 25, 2006: Belarus to ban Canadian, U.S. flights from its airspace

"I believe this would not apply to civil aircraft. Some sort of restrictions would apply to official delegations. We will be selective," said the spokesman, who was not identified by Reuters.

"It will be a reciprocal measure against individuals who have been shown not to wish Belarus well."

The official said the only exceptions would be aircraft carrying U.S. President George W. Bush.

"I believe we would, of course, let through an aircraft carrying Bush," he said.

The April 20 flight that sparked the dispute had been carrying Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky and other government officials on an official visit to Cuba.

Ottawa said it wouldn't let the plane land to show Canada's concerns over human rights in Belarus, which U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney recently called "Europe's last dictatorship."

Lukashenko has come under increased international criticism following his controversial election win in March and subsequent crackdown on protests against the vote, which critics claim was rigged.

Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested since Lukashenko's victory. The European Union has called on governments around the world to refuse to recognize the vote.

Source:

http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/MSN/world/national/2006/05/31/belarus-canada.html

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