Archive for June, 2008

The leaders of 27 member countries on June 19 approved the European Union’s “Eastern Partnership” project aimed at increasing cooperation between the EU and six eastern neighbor countries, including Belarus. Based on the EU’s European Neighborhood Policy, the Eastern Partnership is viewed as a new multilateral forum between the EU and Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, which would forge closer economic and political ties, lead to visa-free travel deals and the establishment of a free trade zone, and prepare the countries for EU membership. Belarus would be involved in the Eastern Partnership “at the expert level” because, unlike the other states, it does not fully participate in the European Neighborhood Policy. Read more »

Victims in car chase incident demand tough punishment for traffic policemen. The occupants of the vehicles damaged in March’s car chase incident said at Thursday’s hearing in a court in Minsk that the two traffic police officers who used the autos to capture a speeding driver “deserve tough punishment.” The incident occurred near Minsk on March 2. The police used four vehicles, with their occupants still inside, to block a road in order to catch a man who was driving over the legal drink-drive limit. Read more »