Jamp!!!

Sick-out over wage demands by Polish customs officers

Belarusian foreign ministry expresses concern over traffic delays at Polish border




The Belarusian foreign ministry has expressed “concern” over huge traffic delays caused by a sick-out over wage demands by Polish customs officers, Belapan reports.

Personnel at Polish customs checkpoints has been reduced to just a few officers in the last few days, resulting in backups of thousands of trucks and cars.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Andrey Papow, spokesman for the ministry, said that the strike had “paralyzed the system of freight and individuals’ movement” at Poland’s Belarusian border.

“Reports of the physical and moral suffering of people stranded in kilometers-long lines at the Polish side of the border, including the lack of access to medical assistance, cause a particular alarm,” Mr. Papow said.

The official expressed hope that the European Union would meet its international obligations “in the sphere of the unimpeded movement of individuals and shipments through the external EU borders and prevent further damage to the interests of other countries’ people and economies.”

“We strongly urge the European Union to take all necessary measures to solve the problems at the Polish section of its border as soon as possible, including by sending representatives of other European customs services there,” the statement said.

Minsk invited the European Union to “create an efficient system of cooperation with Belarus’ customs service” to prevent the recurrence of traffic jams at the shared border.

The Belarusian and Russian customs services also have expressed deep concern about the situation in a joint statement.

According to the Belarusian State Border Committee, trucks lines were as long as 20 kilometers at the Polish side of the shared border on Saturday. There were about 300 trucks at the Kazlovichy customs checkpoint in the Brest region, twice as many as before the strike.

Recycling of parrots

The party of parrots withdrawn by military men Brest border-guards during attempt of their illegal moving from territory of Ukraine, is subjected to recycling.


As the chief of the Brest boundary control veterinary item Vladimir Kovalchuk, on January, 23 frontier guards has informed БелаПАН have transferred in veterinary item 277 of illicit birds on which there were no accompanying documents.

" The decision on recycling is accepted in view of an epidemiological situation developed in the world with the bird's flu. That parrots are potential distributors высокопатогенного a flu of birds of which people are sick also, and also other dangerous infectious diseases "

is important also, - has explained V.Kovalchuk.

It has noted, that, according to normative documents, in case of revealing on boundary check points of a veterinary cargo without corresponding documents it is transferred in boundary control veterinary item for the further decision of a question. In some cases the cargo is located on three-day quarantine. If for this time documents it are not given, solved the problem on recycling. In this case expectation was not meaningful, as the owner of parrots has not been established, V.Kovalchuk has told.

In the evening on January, 22 the unknown person on a bicycle near to village Lipinki of the Brest area which is in a zone of the responsibility заставы him tried to forward parrots. Alexander Zavidova. The smuggler has been found out in immediate proximity from the Belarus-Ukrainian border. Having noticed frontier guards, it has disappeared in a direction of Ukraine, having thrown a bicycle and bags in which there were cells with parrots.

Cruelty in relation to birds of authorities of Byelorussia does not surprise. Cruelty in relation to political opponents, tragical disappearance of politicians, absurd adjudications on cruelty became in Byelorussia a reality. And, parrots have reached. Could send them to Venezuela.

DOORS

Caricatures and the weapon

Three years of prison for the publication of a caricature
The Minsk city court has sentenced the former editor of newspaper "Згода" Alexander Sdvizhkova to 3 years of imprisonment with serving in a colony of an amplified mode.


In number of the newspaper for February, 18-26, 2006 clause " the Political creative ", illustrated by caricatures, including with the image of prophet Mohammed has been published.

One of leaders of a Muslim community in Byelorussia chairman of Spiritual management of moslems Belarus Ismail Voronovich:

- I witness on this process and testified. I tried to soften his destiny. Sdvizhkov thanked me - as far as could, certainly.

- It not seems to you, what this too severe punishment?

- Certainly, severe! I asked, that the decision of court was softer. As it did not call for any crimes. It was some kind of the information that has been published in the Danish newspapers. So I put a question. And I think, that in our society of any excesses, any resonance and could not be.

***

The information on conducting by Byelorussia of negotiations with Iran on sale to this country of antiaircraft rocket complexes ж-300 is fiction. It БелаПАН have declared in the press-service of the state secretary of Security Council.

Thus the interlocutor of agency has paid attention that the theme of deliveries of the Byelorussian weapon to Iran arises periodically, but appearing in this connection the information has no under itself any bases.

On January, 18 in magazine " Jane's " the message that Iran is going to buy in Byelorussia two complexes ж-300ПТ and negotiations on this theme has appeared are in a finishing stage. The possible sum of the contract - 140 million dollars refers to even.

Mikalay Charhinets, chairman of the upper parliamentary house`s standing Committee on International Affairs and National Security, held a press conference in Minsk on January 3 to tell reporters about the Belarusian legislature`s international activities.

In particular, Mr. Charhinets approvingly commented on Alyaksandr Lukashenka`s threat that US Ambassador Karen Stewart would be expelled from Belarus if Washington introduced new economic sanctions against the country.

“Unfortunately, the US ambassador is a too curious lady who meddles in our internal affairs,” Mr. Charhinets said. “It is pleasure for her, as she says, to only observe various sorts of protests and demonstrations as if there were not such demonstrations in New York and Washington, where hundreds were arrested as well. Unfortunately, Ms. Ambassador plays a major role in implementing the policy of certain US circles, which is aimed at a hostile attitude toward the Belarusian people.”

Nonetheless, Mr. Charhinets expressed the opinion that it would not come to the expulsion of the ambassador.

“We advocate cooperation with the USA,” he said. “We hope that common sense will eventually prevail.”

sourse and video

The Arabian monarchy of the Gulf are reoriented with the USA on Russia


In oil monarchy of Persian gulf fear of grows that proceeding instability in region will negatively affect well-being of oil sheikhs and their citizens.
So, in December at annual summit Advice of cooperation of the Arabian states of Persian gulf (GCC) эмир Qatar has warned chapters of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrein, the Incorporated Arab Emirates and Oman about " serious threat " safety and to growth of economy. Meant not only Iran with his aspiration to play the first role in region - first of all the question was a failure of Washington in business of stabilization of position in Iraq.

Having tested bitter disappointment in a middle East policy of the president the USA Bush, states GCC, former decades the closest allies of Washington, under the direction of Saudi Arabia search for new strategy and new allies.

Thus governors - сунниты count, on the one hand, on dialogue with the neighbour frightening them, шиитским Iran, and with another - on new friends, first of all to Russia, German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau (translation Инопресса.ру) writes.

For the first time the Iranian president has had an opportunity to state the strategic representations at summit GCC. The offer of president Ahmadinezhada on the conclusion with the states of Persian gulf of the pact about guarantees of safety, " basing on validity and excluding foreign intervention ", has been met politely.

However mistrust concerning Iranian великодержавности sits deeply, let even, according to the recent information of the American special services, Teheran has stopped the military nuclear program in 2003. Now Saudi Arabia also has undertaken the nuclear program.

From the moment of the basis of kingdom the ruling dynasty саудитов saw in the USA the major the power - guarantor of the political existence. But, in particular after started by the United States in 2003 of war in Iraq, the crack concerning allies grows. The Saudi masters should reckon with the growing exasperation of the Arabian world caused by the American policy.

Суннитского king Abdallu more all is revolted with powerful support of the proIranian prime-minister - шиита Maliki by Washington in Iraq. It also excites, that Americans can agree with Teheran upon the pact which guarantees significant influence to the Islamic state of Entre Rios.

On this background the intensive diplomatic relations of Er Riad and Moscow, having a place recently, get the big value. Observers already speak about future to " a new era " concerning Russia not only with Saudi Arabia, but also with all states GCC.

The Saudi Minister of Defence prince the Sultan during recent visit to Moscow has actually submitted a signal that the termination of military and strategic dependence of kingdom from the USA is possible. Till now саудиты as " guards of the most sacred sources of an islam " denied Russia the same as once communistic Soviet Union.

However now the sultan, one of the most consecutive friends the USA in the royal house, the first among high representatives of the Saudi mode has appealed to new cooperation between Moscow and Er Riad to stop " mad and bloody " massacre in Iraq.

Simultaneously the sultan has emphasized: " we are pleased with a policy of Russia " which today again is widely perceived in region as " the friend to arabs ". " Er Riad sends clear signals to the West that Russia is potentially desired partner in the field of safety ", - is spoken in the analysis of the Research center of Persian gulf in Dubai.

" Абдалла any more does not consider the USA as the unique political and military force dominating over Persian gulf. The Russian middle East policy is close to reaching the biggest success for all postSoviet period ", - it is marked in the document.

The question is, first of all, sale of arms for the sum of some billions dollars as the USA which together with Europe are traditional suppliers of arms to Saudi Arabia constantly feeling it shortage, some months hesitate with the answer to multi-billion inquiry of Er Riad.

As opposed to Washington the Kremlin is ready to deliver kingdom the weapon - tanks T-90, fighting and transport helicopters, БМП, rocket systems - and without any conditions.

If Er Riad will stop to buy the weapon from Washington other states GCC which since some time even more often dart a glance at Moscow, too will follow to his example - and by that will leave more and more from under dependence of the American superstate.