Alexander Lukashenko doesn’t comment so far on the incident involving the former Belarusian ambassador in Japan Petr Kravchenko. Answering BelaPAN’s question, whether there followed any president’s reaction to what had happened, his press-secretary Natalya Petkevich remarked that the reaction occurred on November 19 when Alexander Lukashenko ruled to dismiss Kravchenko from the post he previously occupied over the expiration of his official tenure.

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On November 30 in Brussels the head of the EP delegation Yan Marinus Wiersma, speaking of the outcomes of his Minsk trip, criticized the Belarusian authorities “for the unceasing human rights violations and disregard for the democratic norms”, reports the Russian service of the Radio Svoboda.

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“Belarusian government’s efforts on curbing the activities of the OSCE AMG even more complicated relations between Belarus and the European democratic institutes,” – reads the statement of the European Parliament, disseminated today.

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The Belarusian embassy in Tokyo reported that the third secretary of the Belarusian diplomatic mission met today with the former Belarusian ambassador in Japan Petr Kravchenko in his house. As said in the conversation with the BELTA correspondent by the press-secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Pavel Latushko, Petr Kravchenko still declines to give any commentaries and return home.

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Former deputy Foreign Minister, coordinator of the Charter’97 civil initiative Andrei Sannikov considers ambassador Kravchenko’s flight to be a sign of the upcoming changes in the Belarusian society. In an interview to the BelaPAN correspondent Andrei Sannikov said that he was told by the confidential sources that Andrei Sannikov indeed refused to return to his home country. Commenting on this act, Andrei Sannikov underscored that “it will usher in changes for Kravchenko always was kind of a weather-cock, showing where the wind is blowing”. “As far as I understood, Kravchenko not only refused to return but even proclaimed that he had always been an opponent of Lukashenko,” – said the politician: “This proves that we are in for some changes in Belarus too”.

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Alexander Lukashenko is ready to nominate himself for the presidency for a third consecutive term. He announced that on Friday during his lecture before the students of the Belarusian State Economic University. When asked by one of the visitors whether or not he intends to run for the third term, Lukashenko replied: “Regarding your storming applauses as an approval, I will surely do”.

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The Belarusian leader fears not travel ban, imposed on him and his top officials by some western countries. He said that when delivering a lecture to the students of the Belarusian State Economic University on Friday. At the same time he warned that there are somewhat 200thsd illegal immigrants, aspiring to travel westward. “Bear in mind that nobody will accommodate them here and fight their spreading at our own cost,” – said Lukashenko. Moreover, the Belarusian leader recalled the failed attempts of some criminals to transport drugs and arms across the border to Europe. “This year alone the frontier troops twice seized elements for nuclear missiles,” – emphasized Lukashenko.

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Alexander Lukashenko stated that he properly picked the economic route of the country, which envisages abstention from “blind application of recipes of the International Monetary Fund”. According to him, all former Soviet republics, except Belarus, “have obediently accepted IMF and Soros’ recipes”, thus causing GDP contraction, fall in manufacture and economic collapse.

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Alexander Lukashenko announced that they found $17mln placed on the account in a German bank of the former Minsk Tractor Plant director Mikhail Leonov, which is currently awaiting trial in one of the country’s special confinement centers. “Moreover, they found two more accounts, which are currently being managed by the family of the former industrialist,” – said the head of state at his lecture to the students of the Belarusian State Economic University.

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Alexander Lukashenko shared his readiness to soon replace the heads of one of the central alma mater of Belarus. Speaking before the assembly in the Belarusian State Economic University, the president stated his intention to send to work abroad the rector of the Belarusian State University Alexander Kozulin. “He failed to fulfill all tasks set before him by me and to ensure maximum honesty in the presidential university,” – explained Lukashenko his decision. “He failed it, so let someone else do it in his place,” – said Lukashenko: “Don’t you know how many heads of universities, even rectors, were sent handcuffed to prisons?” – rhetorically inquired Lukashenko from the audience.

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“Belarusian Foreign Ministry confirms that former Belarus ambassador in Japan Petr Kravchenko refused to return home after his dismissal from post,” – BelaPAN was told by the press-secretary of the Belarusian FM Pavel Latushko: “Petr Kravchenko violated the FM’s instructions and never came back to Belarus. At the moment FM possesses no data on his whereabouts and he doesn’t pick up his phone. With the assistance of the Japanese Foreign Ministry we will try to communicate to him, just as we are doing at the moment”.

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The cost of the oil export duty is raised on December 1 to $29,8 per ton. The concomitant ruling of the Russian government was signed by the Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Kasyanov, reports “Interfax”.

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