BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

23/05/2006

Belarus's Lukashenko threatens to ban overflights

MINSK (Reuters) - President Alexander Lukashenko suggested on Tuesday that he might ban Western overflights of Belarus in response to sanctions against his former Soviet state in connection with his disputed re-election.

"Let them fly over the Baltic states or Ukraine. We ought to close the main route through," Lukashenko told parliament in his annual state of the nation address. "Perhaps we will lose something here. But we must show them that we are proud people."

The United States and European Union have barred entry to Lukashenko and other officials in response to what they say was rigging in Lukashenko's March re-election.

Lukashenko's latest comment was almost certainly in response to last month's refusal by Canada and the United States to refuel a plane carrying Belarus's prime minister to and from Cuba.

Source:

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=766092006