Lukashenko promises to find "common language" with Poles.

MINSK, February 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Belarussian President Alexander
Lukashenko said on Friday Minsk and Warsaw can resolve "misunderstandings"
over the Union of Poles in Belarus and promised to "find a common
language" with the third largest ethnic group in the country.

"They are our Poles and my voters. I am responsible for them and I
shall do everything so that it is good in Belarus for them," Lukashenko
told reporters following a meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslav
Sikorsky on Friday.
The Union of Poles "exists and will exist until it believes it
necessary itself," the president said.
Speaking on recent arrests of Poles in Belarus, Lukashenko called "not
to press with the problem".
"Those who got into custody wanted to get there themselves because
they needed a trump card to claim: look, we are poor and offended. But we
shall find a common language with them," Lukashenko said.
Sikorsky said Poland is ready to find a compromise solution of the
problem of the Union of Poles. "I am convinced we shall quickly find an
acceptable institutional solution. We shall launch a constructive dialogue
so that both parties are satisfied," he said.
"That is big politics, if Belarussian Poles feel good, then Poland
will consider Belarus to be a good land," Lukashenko said.
There are over 200 thousand Poles in Belarus who constitute the third
largest ethnic group after Belarussians and Russians. They have 12
newspapers and magazines in Polish and 2 schools. With about
20,000-members, 75 registered primary organizations, and 17 "Polish
Houses," the Union of Poles is the largest public association of a
national minority in Belarus.
In January, criminal prosecution was started against Taresa Sobal, the
director of Polish House in Ivianiec. Sobal is being accused of failing to
properly register a 2004 financial grant received by the Polish House.

.TNK-BP eyes Lithuanian refinery.

MOSCOW, February 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian oil major TNK-BP is
interested in buying Lithuanian oil refinery Orlen Lietuva, TNK-BP
Executive Director German Khan told the Russia Today television channel on
Friday.
Orlen Lietuva was earlier known as Mazeikiu Nafta. In September 2009,
Polish oil consortium PKN Orlen, which owns Mazeikiu Nafta, changed the
refinery's name to Orlen Lietuva.
TNK-BP was earlier interested in the purchase of Mazeikiu Nafta, but
the Lithuanian government sold the company to PKN Orlen in 2006. PKN Orlen
is currently examining a sale of the Lithuanian company. Orlen Lietuva
posted a net loss of U.S. $34.4 million in 2009 against a net profit of
$23 million in 2008.
Orlen Lietuva is the only oil refinery in the Baltic States. It also
includes the Butinge oil terminal, the Birzai oil pipeline and 35 gasoline
filling stations in Lithuania.

.Yanukovich wants lower gas prices, no Customs Union.

KIEV, February 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich
wants to agree lower gas prices with Russia and opposes the idea of
joining the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, according to
his aide.
During the visit to Moscow next month Yanukovich will "definitely
raise the issue of gas agreements, prices of gas, and organization of
cooperation in the sphere of gas transit system," first deputy head of the
presidential administration Irina Akimova said on Friday.
"I believe our Russian partners can meet us half-way, as we can have
numerous interesting projects with one efficiency criteria - they are
necessary and profitable for Ukraine and do not infringe on the interests
of third parties in any way," she said.
Akimova dispelled rumors that Yanukovich may promote Ukrainian
accession to the Customs Union and said the World Trade Organization is
more important.
"As the Customs Union directly contradicts and will strongly
complicate Ukrainian membership in the World Trade Organization, the issue
is not on today's and tomorrow's agenda," she said.


.Russia agrees to replace MiG fighters with helicopters for Lebanon.


BEIRUT, February 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia agreed to supply to the
Lebanese army Mi-24 helicopters instead of earlier promised MiG-29 fighter
planes, local Naharnet news agency reported on Friday quoting Lebanese
President Michel Suleyman as saying upon return from Moscow.
No details on the number of helicopters and delivery deadlines were
provided.
The agreement that Russia will hand over to Lebanon 10 fighters as a
present was reached in 2008.
Suleyman said the joint Lebanese-Russian commission examined the
possibility of a possible replacement of Mig-29 and chose helicopter
gunships, which are more important for the army today.
Suleyman was the first head of the Lebanese state to visit Russia on
an official visit this week and meet President Dmitry Medvedev. The
parties signed a joint statement on further development of friendship and
cooperation and announced an upcoming long-term agreement on
military-technical cooperation.
-0-nec