BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

16/05/2006

U.S. bans Belarusian officials from entry

WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) -- President Bush banned officials of the Belarusian government and their families and business associates from traveling through or visiting the United States.

The White House said the move was part of its push to increase democracy around the world, and isolate despots.

To aid in "fostering democratic institutions in Belarus to help the Belarusian people achieve their aspirations for democracy," said Bush in a statement issued late Monday evening, "I have determined that it is in the interest of the United States to ... restrict the international travel and to suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or non-immigrants, of members of the government of Alyaksandr Lukashenka."

The ban applies to government officials "and other persons who formulate, implement, participate in, or benefit from policies or actions," and anyone "who through their business dealings with Belarusian government officials derive significant financial benefit from (such) policies or actions."

It also applies to the spouses of such people, and it went into effect immediately Monday evening.

Source:

http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20060516-033225-8217r