In his Monday TV appearance in the "Podrobnosty" program of the Russian state RTR channel the Ukrainian president said he sees no point in joining the union of Russia and Belarus, as far it lacks the necessary economic background for further development: "At the moment Russia is unable to feed Belarus, let alone 50 millions Ukrainians," - said the president.

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Newspaper "Belaruski Chas" published an interview with the director of NISEPI research studio Oleg Manaev, in which he shared his vision of the situation in the country. Although sociology is unreliable science in totalitarian states some NISEPI statistics well deserves consideration. Manaev noted that the level of people`s dissatisfaction is escalating and almost reaches the culminating point.

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This year saw the reduction in the amount of Russian oil export turnover in Belarus. In January 1 - February 12 Russia supplied only 1.374 tons of petroleum to the Belarusian refineries, which comes 13% short of the last year`s statistics for analogous period.

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February 19 police declared the indictment of Mikhail Chigir`s son Alexander, presently held in the pre-trial jail of Minsk. BelaPAN reports from the press-center of the Ministry of the Interior, that the Investigation committee accused Alexander Chigir under art.205/4 of the country`s Penal Code - secret theft, either large-scale or repeatedly committed by a group of individuals.

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Trial over deputy BPF head, chair of the Youth Front Pavel Severinets finished February 19 night in the Central district court of Minsk. Under art.167.1/2 of the country`s Penal Code Pavel Severinets is charged with organizing on February 14, 2001 an unsanctioned rally on the Svabody square and unsanctioned youth march towards the Pobedy square. The judge found Severinets guilty and fined him 150 minimum wages (around $500).

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February 19 after a week`s break the jury resumed hearing of a lawsuit, brought against the scholars and teachers of the Gomel State Institute of Medicine. Yesterday the defense appealed to the jury with a number of requests. In particular, professor Bandazhevsky`s attorney Alexander Baranov asked the court to interrogate as witnesses representatives of the presidential commission for control over the course of the entry exams, responsible namely for the Gomel Institute of Medicine, especially Valery Tsepkalo, presently working as Belarus ambassador in the USA, deputy Minister for Healthcare Alexander Kurchenkov and one of the leaders of the Gomel KGB office. Head of the military board of the Supreme Court Vladimir Sukach turned down all their proposals, claiming that they "in no way contribute to the case clarification".

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