BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

03/07/2007

Belarus marks Independence Day

MINSK, July 3 (Itar-Tass) - Belarus marks on Tuesday the main state holiday - Independence Day. In a congratulatory message to the Belarussian people, President Alexander Lukashenko said "the republic is developing dynamically, it is a democratic and sovereign state".

"The Belarussian people are closely united," the president stressed, adding that Belarus "is open to the world and seeks to develop equal and mutually advantageous relations with all countries".

Festivities in capital Minsk will begin with a ceremony of laying wreaths and flowers to the Victory Monument. The president, government officials and public figures will take part in the ceremony. It will be followed by a military parade and a pageant.

Concerts and open-air celebrations will be organized in cities and villages.

Earlier, July 27 was celebrated as Independence Day. On that day in 1990 a declaration on the state sovereignty of the country was passed. However, on the results of a referendum in November 1996, July 3 was announced the state holiday, as it was on July 3, 1944, that the Soviet troops liberated the Belarussian capital of fascist invaders.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11683942&PageNum=0

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