BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

27/03/2007

Spokesman Denies Rumors Of Belarusian President's Illness

Presidential spokesman Pavel Lyohki on March 26 denied rumors that President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is staying out of public view because of an illness, Belapan reported. "The head of state is in his residence in Minsk, [he] receives officials who present reports, works with papers," Lyohki told the agency. He declined to confirm reports that Lukashenka's visit to Vietnam, originally scheduled for March 25-27, was cancelled at "the Belarusian side's request." Lukashenka was last seen on television on March 10, when he was shown inaugurating a health and fitness center in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/03/3-CEE/cee-270307.asp