On October 16 a year was marked since Poland launched a campaign of solidarity with Belarus. An event dedicated to this date was staged in a Warsaw club “Remont”, famous for its support of Belarus. First a multimedia presentation of the campaign “16” in Poland was held. Pictures and video films from protest rallies in the last year were demonstrated. In the second part, a concert of a Belarusian hip-hop project “Chyrvonym pa Belym” started. It caused a surge of positive emotions of the Belarusians in the club, and also among Poles. The Union for Democracy Support in Belarus was the organizer of the concert.

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EU foreign policy in post-Soviet states should focus on pragmatic interests and steer clear of promoting democracy, Russia`s EU ambassador Vladimir Chizhov told EUobserver, as Brussels and Moscow gear up to talk about the "essence" of their post-2007 relations in Finland at the end of this week.

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A summit of the Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers of the CIS Countries (SMID CIS) took place yesterday in Minsk. The meeting demonstrated that interest in the organization in the ex-Soviet world has dwindled to almost nothing: only three out of 12 ministers bothered to attend. The basic reasons for the current apathy are discord between Russia and Kazakhstan on the issue of reform in the CIS and fears raised by the Kremlin`s anti-Georgian campaign.

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Today is the 14th day that Alena Zakhozhaya, electrician at Belshyna company, refuses to eat. Alena Zakhozhaya lives in Babruisk and is a member of Belarusian Independent Trade Union. On October 16 members of the Trade Union organization at Belshyna company informed Babruisk city authorities and Belnaftahim concern, KGB and Belshyna administration that they join the hunger-strike.

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Alyaksandr Lukashenka sees considerable prospects in development of bilateral cooperation with Azerbajan in the sphere of oil and gas trade, and in realization of joint projects in industry and power engineering. “Azerbaijan’s large scale deposits of oil and gas, and Belarus’ modern powerful equipment of petrochemical complexes are the basis for development of mutually beneficial cooperation in power engineering in the future,” A. Lukashenka said during the negotiations with Azerbaijan’s President Ilkham Aliyev, in Minsk.

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In Brest a new Day of Solidarity with political prisoners ended with mass arrests of young activists. On October 16 activists of the campaign “For Freedom” staged a protest rally dedicated to the Day of Solidarity with victims of the Belarusian regime. About 25 persons formed a chain on Kobryn bridge. They had big letters on their chests making a slogan: “Freedom to political prisoners!” Though it was very dark, the letters were seen well, and cars were giving honks as support to protesters.

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50 activists of the campaign “For Freedom” gathered in Barysau on the Belarusian Day of Solidarity. They rallied near the city House of Culture. Candles were lit, and activists passed by the city executive committee to the city park. Near the Eternal Flame young activists arranged a number 16 from the candles. Policemen arrived, but they failed to find participants of the flash mob there, and started to picture people taking rest there.

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A streamer “Freedom to Political Prisoners!” was placed yesterday by young activists in the center of Minsk on the bridge over Nyamiha Street. Two 7-metre streamers were put on the bride in Maskouskaya Street and in the micro district “Zyalyony Luh” near Expobel market.

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This time a solidarity action was to start by “Freedom March”. About 80 participants, mostly young ones, gathered near the main entrance of the city market at 7.40 p.m. They planned to march through the city up to the Central Square with candles and portraits of the disappeared politicians and political prisoners.

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On October 16 in Homel a flash mob “Candles of Freedom” was held. At 8 p.m. more than 50 young people who wanted to express their solidarity with the repressed Belarusians gathered by the monument of Cyril from Turau. The protest action had been widely announced. There have never been so many young people participating in flash mobs in Homel before.

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Public activists have held several actions timed to the Day of Solidarity in Mahilyou. Citizens of the city were reminded about disappeared politicians and young people detained for political reasons.

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On October 16 the Day of Belarusian Solidarity was marked in Belarus and all over the world. Actions of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners, families of the abducted and all those who are fighting for freedom and democracy in Belarus, have been held in Baranavichy, Homel, Salihorsk, Mozyr, Mahilyou, Brest, Babrujsk, Barysau, Maladzechna, Polatsk and other towns of Belarus. Several flash-mobs were staged in Minsk. More than 80 young activists lit candles near the metro station “Pushkinskaya”. A few dozens of people with portraits of political prisoners gathered in Adam Mickievicz park. Dozens of people gathered in Nyamiha metro station holding candles in their hands. Thousands of people have lit candles in their windows.

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