BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

31/01/2008

Belarusian president lashes out at EU, US ambassadors

The Associated Press

MINSK, Belarus: President Alexander Lukashenko lashed out at ambassadors from the United States and the European Union on Thursday, accusing them of undermining his government's efforts to improve the external relations of his isolated ex-Soviet republic.

Lukashenko began signaling a desire for better relations with the West following Russia's decision to sharply hike prices for oil exports to Belarus - exports on which the country's Soviet-style, centrally controlled economy had long depended.

The United States and European Union, however, have made clear that Lukashenko must free political prisoners and allow more democratic freedoms before long-standing travel restrictions and economic sanctions can be eased and relations normalized.

Last month, U.S. Ambassador Karen Stewart said Washington could add to the existing sanctions if Lukashenko doesn't take more concrete steps. The Belarusian leader responding by threatening to throw the ambassador out if new sanctions are imposed.

"The role of an ambassador in the country of arrival in spite of everything is to establish normal, friendly relations. Most unfortunately, Western ambassadors do not have this wish," he said at a meeting with German Ambassador Gebhardt Weiss.

"I don't fully understand the role of the ambassadors of the European Union ... and the United States and I don't want to hide this. Therefore I am stating this harshly in order to stop those who are particularly mettlesome and to show that Belarus is a sovereign, independent state," he said.

Lukashenko, characterized in the West as "Europe's last dictator," has stifled opposition and independent media during 13 years in power.

Source:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/31/europe/EU-GEN-Belarus-US-EU.php