PRESS RELEASE

On Statement by the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus

Washington, D.C., March 26, 2006

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already underlined that the European Union and the United States through their comments on the situation in Belarus, have been persistently trying to present the desired as real.

Recent statements by the Austrian Presidency of the European Union and by the U.S. State Department Spokesman appear to prove that the European Union and the United States are on the verge of anti-Belarusian hysteria. They either let someone deceive them or they themselves deceive the European and American people.

On March 25, 2006, in spite of unauthorized opposition event in the center of Minsk, Belarusian law-enforcement forces, in order to avoid violence, exercised restraint and patience, did not interfere with the rally and did not take measures to suppress it. However, calm holding of the event was interrupted by one of the opposition leaders Alexander Kozulin who called on demonstrators to take over power by force and proceed to the special detention center of the Minsk Department of Internal Affairs. Some of demonstrators obeyed Mr. Kozulin.

Militia forces which blocked approaches to that specially guarded facility were attacked and were forced to restore the order. The most aggressive participants of the attack and Mr. Kozulin were detained. In these events, officers of law-enforcement forces sustained injuries. Currently, a comprehensive investigation and review of materials is going on in order to give a legal assessment of activities of the participants of unauthorized rally.

We would like to draw the attention of the United States and the European Union that even the presidential candidate, supported by them, who lost the election called the appeal by Mr. Kozulin provocation and stated that he was not going to offer him to enter into coalition anymore.

We would also like to draw the attention of the European Union and the United States to the mass use of force by law-enforcement forces against demonstration in the capital of one of the biggest states of the European Union, including the use of water-jets, tear-gas grenades, batons and other special equipment. We insistently recommend to the United States and the European Union to use common standards in assessing actions of law enforcement forces both in Belarus and in their own countries.

It is evident for objective observers that the situation in Belarus is absolutely calm. In this respect we strongly call on the European Union and the United States to stop efforts to destabilize it from outside.

Minsk, March 26, 2006