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Belarus thanks Putin for support
Vladimir Putin (left) said Mr Lukashenko was welcome in Russia
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has thanked his Russian counterpart for his support during a meeting in Moscow.
His public show of gratitude follows remarks by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice describing Belarus as the last true dictatorship in Europe.
Mr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin were meeting to discuss trade relations and plans for a single currency.
Ms Rice's comments about Belarus were supported by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
"What we'd like to see is Belarus being involved with the kind of values, principles and way of life that is closer to what we have [in the EU]," he told reporters during a visit to the Estonian capital, Tallinn.
Mr Lukashenko knew he was among friends in Russia, a BBC correspondent in Moscow says.
"I want to thank you... for the huge support you are giving us at a difficult time for us in our history as a sovereign and independent nation," the Belarussian leader told Mr Putin.
The fact that an independent state... exists right in the centre of Europe riles the US
When asked about Ms Rice's remarks, he said he "didn't care for Rice or her statements".
"But it is heartening that she is aware this country, Belarus, does exist and that she knows its location," he said. "When she flew over it she must have seen there are no terrorists in Belarus," he added.
Mr Putin repaid compliments, telling the Belarussian leader eh was welcome in Russia...
After Condoleezza Rice announced that she would meet with dissidents from Belarus to encourage an end to Europe's last dictatorship, the longtime ruler of the former Soviet republic did his best to prove Rice correct by running to the Kremlin for support:
The presidents of Russia and Belarus are meeting in Moscow a day after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for political change in Minsk.
Ms Rice's comments and her decision to meet Belarussian dissidents during a Nato summit in Lithuania prompted strong criticism.
Belarus and Russia accused her of meddling in the country's affairs.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, arriving in Moscow, quipped that Ms Rice's comments left him "indifferent".
"But it is heartening that she is aware this country, Belarus, does exist and that she knows its location," he added.
Lukashenko makes a joke, no? But notice where he makes his joke: Moscow. I'd say that Lukashenko took a look around Belarus and suddenly saw Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, with the latter about to join a defensive military alliance with the other two that would surround him on three sides, and all three now democratized. A steady diet of Rice for his opposition might fortify it to follow in the same direction.
Perhaps he went to Moscow for Putin's help, or perhaps he went to check on Askar Akayev for advice. Either way, he's clearly heard the message from Rice and the US.
Posted by Captain Ed at 06:55 AM
