Belarus MPs to study item on recogn' of SOssetia, Abkh.

MINSK, September 16 (Itar-Tass) - An item concerning recognition of
the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia will be considered at a
session of the Belarussian parliament, President Alexander Lukashenko said
in an interview to Lithuanian media. The interview was broadcast by
Belarussian television on Tuesday night.

Lukashenko said, "This question will be considered at the session and
some cross-section of the public opinion (on the issue) will be made." He
pointed out that his opinion "takes shape on the strength of the people's
views". "Following the parliament's judgement, and basing ourselves on the
opinion of the people, we shall make a decision," the President said. He
emphasized, "We do not accept any demands or pressure" as regards this
issue.
In any case, there are appropriate applications sent in by Abkhazia
and South Ossetia at the end of last year and Belarus has got to react to
them, Lukashenko said.

.Armenia-Belarus mil coop'n continues to develop-DefMin.

YEREVAN, September 16 (Itar-Tass) - Defence and military-technical
cooperation between Armenia and Belarus continues to develop successfully.
This has been illustrated by a number of activities and by reciprocal
visits made under the plan for cooperation betwee the Defence Ministries
of the two countries, Armenian Minister of Defence Seiran Oganyan said
Tuesday when receiving Stepan Sukhorenko, the Ambassador of Belarus to
Armenia.
Armenia and Belarus also cooperate successfully within the framework
of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Collective Security
Treaty Organisation (CSTO), Oganyan pointed out. The
operational-and-tectical exercise Zapad (west)-2009, due to take place on
the territory of Belarus from September 26 to 29, is of importance in this
respect. The exercise will involve units of the Armed Forces of Russia and
Belarus.
An operations group of the Armenian Defence Ministry will take part in
that second phase of the joint exercise of the units of the Armed Forces
of CSTO countries, the Collective Rapid-Reaction Force and Secretariat of
the CSTO, and operational groups of the manpower and materiel of the
member-countries of the collective security system.
The interlocutors discussed matters connected with the state of and
prospects for bilateral relations in the military sphere, Colonel Seiran
Shakhsuvaryan, deputy chief of the information and public relations
department of the Armenian Defence Ministry and press secretary of the
Defence Minister, told Itar-Tass.

.Russia supports Palestinian Nat'l Authority -- RF envoy.

CAIRO, September 16 (Itar-Tass) - Russia "sides with the Palestinian
National Authority (PNA)", Sergei Kozlov, Representative of the Russian
Federation at the PNA, said on Tuesday night during a meeting in Ramallah
(West Bank) with PNA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
The WAFA news agency reported that Kozlov had conveyed greetings from
the Russian government to Fayyad and to the Cabinet headed by him.
During the meeting, the sides discussed ways towards developing
cooperation and bilateral relations between Moscow and the Palestinian
autonomy. Fayyad acquainted Kozlov with the political situation in the
Palestinian territories.

.Lukashenko to discuss trade-econ' coop'n in Lithuania.

MINSK, September 16 (Itar-Tass) - The forthcoming talks between
Presidents Alexander Lukashenko and Dali Gribauskaite will focus on
matters concerning trade-and-economic cooperation between Belarus and
Lithuania, a presidential press service official told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
"Alexander Lukashenko's working visit to the Republic of Lithuania
hasbegun. On Wednesday the Belarussian Head of State is expected to meet
with his Lithuanian counterpart, Dali Gribauskaite," the press service
official said, adding that Lukashenko would also attend the 5th
Belarussian-Lithuanian economic forum and tour the BelEXPO-2009 national
exhibition.
"The forum will be keynoted by stepping up trade-and-economic and
investment cooperation between the two countries in the light of the world
downturn. The sides will examine the possibility of interaction at the
regional level with due regard for Belarus' getting the status of observer
at the Council of the Baltic Sea States," Vladimir Drazhin, the Ambassador
of Belarus to Lithuania, said in comment on the upcoming forum. He said
the sides would also refer to activities within the scopeof the European
Union's Eastern Partnership programme.
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