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Posted by MAC (Member # 47) on :

EU considers 'dictator' ban

Lukashenko wants to attend a Nato summit in Prague

The European Union is planning to ban the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and up to 50 members of his government from travelling to EU and candidate countries because of continuing violations of democracy and human rights.
The banning decision will be taken by EU foreign ministers on Tuesday and will enter into force immediately.

So far it is just a proposal on the agenda of the foreign ministers' meeting, but correspondents say it is likely to be passed.

News of the development came as the Czech Republic refused to issue an entry visa to Mr Lukashenko, who had expressed a wish to attend next week's Nato summit in Prague.

Belarus has since announced it is recalling its ambassador from Prague.

Monitors expelled

The Czech foreign minister, Cyril Svoboda, said the visa would not be granted because Belarus did not respect human rights.

Mr Lukashenko earlier threatened to cut all diplomatic ties with the Czech Republic if not given a visa.

Described by Washington as the last dictator in Europe, he has become increasingly isolated from the west because of alleged harassment of the opposition and the press.

Last month, he expelled all monitors from a mission of the Organisation of Security and Co-operation in Europe in his country.

Then, in an extraordinary outburst, he threatened to stop policing his borders and let drug traffickers and illegal immigrants into the EU if he did not get a visa to attend next week's Nato summit in Prague.

No gatecrashers

Although a member of Nato's Partnership for Peace, Belarus has also been accused of training Iraqi military officers.

The US ambassador to Nato told the BBC that Mr Lukashenko had already been advised to stay home and not to try, as he put it, to "gatecrash the party" in Prague.

Seven countries from Eastern Europe, including Belarus' western and northern neighbours, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, are likely to be invited to join the alliance at the summit.

In a statement on Wednesday, the 15-nation EU said the human rights situation in Belarus was deteriorating.

It suspended most bilateral trade and financial aid programmes in 1997, and banned all bilateral relations at ministerial level.