Aleksandr Zimovsky, head of the Belarusian State Television and Radio Company, rejected rumors that he may be picked as Aleksandr Lukashenko's possible successor, saying that he had no political ambitions.
Russia's newspaper Moskovskiye Novosti reported on Friday that the Belarusian leader may be looking for a person who could succeed him in the post. The publication named, among others, Mr. Zimovsky as a possible candidate for Belarus' presidency after Mr. Lukashenko's departure.
"I stand a much bigger chance of becoming Germany's federal chancellor than Belarus' president. Because I was born in Germany and only a Belarusian citizen born in the country can become Belarus' president under Article 80 of the constitution. I can only add that I have ambitions in the sphere of electronic media, not in the political sphere," the executive told BelaPAN.
The 45-year-old Zimovsky is known as the author of several controversial documentaries filled with accusations against Belarusian opposition politicians. He anchored Belarusian Television's main analytical show in the early 2000s and was later appointed as head of the state-run network STV. The executive took over as BSTRC chairman last December, less than three months before the presidential election, and was barred from the European Union territory in April over Belarusian Television's biased coverage of the vote.
Mr. Zimovsky has served as a member of the Council of the Republic, the upper parliamentary chamber, since 2005.
The first ambassador of the Belarus Republic to Azerbaijan Nikolay Patskevich today presented the copy of his credentials to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
The Ministry told the APA Mr.Mammadyarov wished success to the ambassador in his diplomatic activity and hoped that he will serve development of the existing relations between the two states.
Ambassador Patskevich said his country is interested in developing relations with Azerbaijan stressing there exists a great potential for that.
Nikolay Patskevish was appointed ambassador in May this year. The Belarusian embassy in Azerbaijan headed by charge d’affaires ad interim Vladimir Korolchuk has been functioning since early this year.
Aleksandr Lukashenko will meet with the heads of Belarusian diplomatic missions who will flock to Minsk for annual consultations, Andrei Popov, spokesman for the Belarusian foreign ministry, told reporters in Minsk on Thursday. The ambassadors will stay in Minsk between July 24 and August 2.
According to Mr. Popov, the Belarusian leader intends to set the diplomats tasks for implementing Belarus' foreign policy.
While in Minsk, the Belarusian ambassadors are expected to attend workshops in the Presidential Management Academy that will feature speeches by Belarusian top officials focusing on the government's economic policy, innovative development of the economy, energy supplies, monetary policy, the development of distribution networks for Belarusian-made goods and the organization of fairs and exhibitions showcasing Belarusian products.
The diplomats will visit leading Belarusian exporters, including Amkodor Udarnik, the Minsk-based manufacturer of road construction equipment, the Neman glassworks, the Lidagroprommash farming machinery maker, the Snov farm, etc.
In addition, the ambassadors will visit the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences to familiarize themselves with Belarus' latest scientific achievements. //BelaPAN
Lithuanian representatives suggest launching a passenger boat service between Belarusian and Lithuanian cities located on the River Neman. The matter was under discussion at Wednesday's round-table conference in Druskininkai, a Lithuanian city just off the Belarusian border.
Speaking at the conference, Druskininkai Vice Mayor Kristina Miskiniene stressed that a boat service would expand opportunities for water tourism. She noted that the Lithuanian authorities have repeatedly urged the Grodno city government to arrange regular boat trips between the two countries. A round of talks on the matter with the ambassadors, border control and customs officials, and government representatives in attendance was held last fall. "Druskinikai has everything to accommodate vessels," Ms. Miskiniene said, adding that the Lithuanian authorities have been doing their utmost to open a border checkpoint on the Neman.
The official stressed that the two countries, as well as Poland and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave have failed to use all opportunities available for developing cross-border cooperation in the framework of the Neman euroregion, blaming the situation on red tape. "There are no opportunities to display initiative at the local level," she explained. //BelaPAN
Aleksandr Lukashenko, by his presidential edict, has allowed the country's national sports federations to sell their rights to broadcast sports events.
He also permitted the federations to sell tickets for events that they either organize or take part in. However, he banned them from spending proceeds from such ticket sales on purposes other than those specified in their charter. //BelaPAN
Cuba's first Vice President and Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Army General Raul Castro Ruz met with the Defense Minister of Belarus, Col. Gen. Leonid Maltsev on Tuesday, in Havana.
The exchange between the two high ranking military officers took place in the friendly atmosphere that characterizes relations between the two nations, Granma daily newspaper reported.
The visiting Belarusian Defense Minister expressed his satisfaction for being in Cuba and having the opportunity to see the achievements of the Cuban Revolution and the experiences of its Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR).
The official talks also included the participation of Gen. Alvaro Lopez Miera, FAR Chief of Staff and Victor Vasilievich Kozintsev, advisor to the Belarus Embassy in Havana.
The Belarus Defense Minister and his delegation arrived in Cuba on Monday and visited the monument complex dedicated to Cuban independence hero Gen. Antonio Maceo Grajales and his aide Capt. Francisco Gomez Toro. //ACN
South Korean electronics equipment producer Samsung plans to make proposals to the Belarusian authorities for streamlining the procedures governing the import of mobile handsets into the country, a spokesperson with Samsung told reporters Tuesday.
Currently, a large number of mobile handsets are imported into the country under so-called "gray schemes" resulting in a loss of revenue from import duties and taxes for Belarus' budget, Alexei Kovalenko, Samsung's manager for business development in Belarus, said.
"We can not advise the state to do anything. We want to show the current situation: how much time it takes to certify and to legally import phones, how much time is wasted and how much potential revenue the budget loses," Kovalenko said, adding that some handset models, if imported legally, are introduced on the Belarusian market two to three months later compared to other markets.
Samsung estimates its share of the Belarusian market at 25%, which makes it the second largest vendor after Nokia, which has about 28% of the market. //Prime-Tass
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will visit Belarus on July 22-24 at the invitation of Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, a source at the country’s foreign ministry said on Monday. This will be the first-ever meeting of the two countries’ presidents, the source said.
Belarus and Venezuela maintain political contacts, mainly at the level of foreign ministers. Belarussian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov and his Venezuelan counterpart Ali Araque met in New York back in September 2005. Araque had visited Belarus twice since.
Belarussian-Venezuelan bilateral trade is low. In January-April, there were no Belarus’ export to Venezuela and import made up several thousands U.S. dollars. //Itar-Tass
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received no reports about any Belarusians killed or injured as a result of Monday's deadly tsunami on the Indonesian island of Java, Andrei Popov, spokesman for the ministry, told BelaPAN.
Major Belarusian travel agencies Alatantour and Sakub Travel said they had not sent any Belarusian tourists to Indonesia recently.
An employee with another travel agency, Goryashchiye Tury, told BelaPAN that a group of tourists who had bought a tour to Indonesia from the company were back in Minsk already.
According to a source with the Sunny Travel agency, Belarusian tourists hardly ever travel to Java and prefer Bali, another popular holiday destination in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the death toll from a tsunami that struck Java has risen to more than 300, Indonesian relief officials say. Among the dead are Dutch, Swiss, and Pakistani nationals.
The tsunami was triggered by a 7.7 magnitude undersea earthquake that struck off the town of Pangandaran, 360 kilometers far from Jacarta, on Monday afternoon, causing a two meter-high wave.
The Ministry of Statistics and Analysis reported an inflation rate of 3.1 percent in Belarus in the first six months of 2006.
Consumer prices rose by 0.2 percent in June.
The government projects the annual inflation rate to be at seven to nine percent at the end of the year.
Foodstuffs increased in price by three percent and the price of non-food goods rose by 1.5 percent in the period under review.
Consumer services fees rose by 4.9 percent on the average, with fees for housing maintenance and healthcare services rising at the highest pace, according to the ministry.
Industrial prices went up by 4.2 percent and freight transportation rates rose by 5.8 percent in the first six months. //BelaPAN
23 July 2006