Andrei Khrapavitski: Belarusian American Blog

Russian gas monopoly Gazprom is planning to switch to market relations with Belarus on 1 January 2007.

Alexei Miller, the company’s president, said in an interview to ORT, “Gazprom is changing to the market principles of cooperation with all the former republics of the Soviet Union. The basis of this conversion is the international conjuncture of hydrocarbon costs. What we are saying is that the mechanism of setting up prices for Russian gas in Belarus will be decided by the global experience of gas business. We have duly started negotiations to avoid unwanted Christmas surprises. The talks will continue in the end of April.”

Lukashenka doesn’t seem to be pretty much worried about that. The message from the Belarus’ government is clear – “There shouldn’t be much ado about nothing. The discussions will continue and the agreement will be reached.” It would be nice if the Belarus’ society could find out how. What will the tradeoffs be? Hopefully, not the Belarus’ independence.

Dozens of people demand release of the presidential candidate Alexander Kazulin by setting up pickets in different parts of Minsk. The politician was arrested on 25 March during dispersal of the oppositional demonstration. On 30 March, he was preferred charges on two articles of the Criminal Code. Kazulin may be sentenced up to six years in prison.
Meanwhile, another opposition politician, Mikhail Marynich, was freed before deadline. In prison, his health critically deteriorated, and he said to RFE\RL that the regime had turned him into a crip. The ex-minister and ambassador had been considered as a potential presidential candidate from the opposition. Already last year, he was eligible for pre-term release , but according to his relatives there had been an order from high authorities not to free him before the elections.

The banner reads, “Free Kazulin.” The picture is taken from Kazulin’s website.