Lukashenko pledges loyalty to "elder brother" Russia.

MINSK, December 4 (Itar-Tass) -- Belarussian President Alexander
Lukashenko, who often sharply criticizes Russian leaders, said his country
will never turn its back on "brotherly" Russia, as it would mean his own
political death.

"Sidetracking from the policy of rapprochement with Russia means
political death of Lukashenko," he told visiting Russian presidential
envoy to Volga region Grigory Rapota on Thursday.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was asked at a televised
question-and-answer session on Thursday why he does not react to
Lukashenko criticisms. Putin responded by saying Russia gives Belarus a
lot of credits and assistance, but Lukashenko wants more.
Lukashenko objected by saying "we reciprocate each Russian step
towards Belarus with ten more steps" towards Russia.
However, he admitted he has to react to "undeserved criticism from the
elder brother."
Last month Lukashenko gathered Russian journalists in response to a
meeting of President Dmitry Medvedev with Belarussian media, which he
branded as an "empty" attempt to "pique" him.
"I have to invite Russian journalists and respond to their acute
questions. There should be no hard feelings about it," Lukashenko said,
claiming Russia denies access to its information space for Belarussian
media.
"We want our elder brother, the Russians, to treat us as a younger
brother. They can chide us, but never reproach for being a burden for
them," Lukashenko said.
The president added Belarus is creating no problems either for Russia
or for the Baltic countries, Poland, Ukraine, the European Union, and the
United States.
"Belarus never turned either to the left or to the right, it never set
face on America or turned its back on Russia," Lukashenko said.
In the meantime, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko intervened to
say his relations with Belarus were the best example for other nations.
"These are relations that actually have no problems," he told the
Belarussian state television on Thursday.
He said bilateral trade turnover comprised five billion dollars in
2008 and the countries have agreed to settle one of the most complicated
political problems of border demarcation.
Yushhenko said he backs Belarussian plans to build the first nuclear
power plant, which other Belarussian neighbors oppose, and said Ukraine
wants to join the project.


.Belarus to ratify Customs Union.

MINSK, December 4 (Itar-Tass) -- Belarussian parliament will ratify
the agreements on the creation of the Customs Union with Russia and
Kazakhstan on Friday.
The package of documents comprises 13 agreements that form the legal
base of the Customs Union that is to come into force next year.

.Ukraine's Yushchenko blames Timoshenko for army plight.

KIEV, December 4 (Itar-Tass) -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko
blamed the government of Yulia Timoshenko again on Thursday, this time for
underfinancing the armed forces.
He told a gala meeting devoted to the 18th anniversary of the armed
forces of independent Ukraine the army is on the verge of survival.
"This year appropriations for defense were three times less that a
year ago, and the army actually received only ten percent of the amount,"
Yushchenko said.
"The army has never had such small appropriations in 18 years," he
added.
The president said lack of financing keeps 88 aircraft and helicopters
on the ground, 70 percent of warships are incapable of fulfilling combat
missions, 40 percent of armor and artillery are combat incapable. Besides,
96 percent of servicemen have received only theoretical training.
"The army lacks funds for elementary needs - food, uniform, household
services. Such a situation undermines morale and combat ability of the
armed forces", the president stressed, adding nearly 2000 contracted
military quit the service this year, as well as 560 young officers and 144
high-class pilots.
Yushchenko blamed Timoshenko for "open anti-state policy that
humiliates the warriors" and said the policy will end after the
presidential election on January 17, meaning Timoshenko, one of the most
likely winners, will lose the presidential race.
After that the army will restore its strength to reach NATO standards,
Yushchenko claimed.

.Railway to install total track monitoring after train blast.

ST. PETERSBURG, December 4 (Itar-Tass) -- The Oktyabrskaya railway
that links St. Petersburg and Moscow will arrange "total monitoring" of
the 650-kilometer long track following the explosion of the Nevsky Express
passenger train by terrorists on November 27 that took a toll of 26 lives.
Video surveillance systems and thermal observation devices will be
installed. The project worth three billion rubles will be designed
shortly, according to head of the railway security center Pavel Sazonov.
The system will provide for "total surveillance" of the track and
objects. Mobile groups will be on the round-o'clock duty, watch the
situation on monitors real time, and rush to the scene in case of danger,
Sazonov told a press conference on Thursday.
President of the Russian Railways Company Vladimir Yakunin told the
NTV channel on Thursday the surveillance system will be "independent of
external sources and impossible to switch off."
However, despite technical support, Yakunin called on residents along
railways to inform police of any strangers in their villages. "Assistance
is necessary in such situations. In the West dozens of ladies would call
police if a stranger appears all of a sudden," Yakunin said.
He also said his company will work to make passenger cars safer, as
many people in derailed Nevsky Express cars were killed or wounded by
flying debris.
"Work will be carried out with industrialists and researchers on
technical conditions of modern rolling stock. Jointly with law enforcers
we shall analyze everything that has been done in the sphere of safety
before the derailment of Nevsky Express and what has been already done
after the accident," Yakunin said.
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