BELARUSIANS FEAR PRICE RISES MORE THAN CRIME OR DICTATORSHIP.

A poll conducted by a Minsk institute shows that 64.3 percentof Belarusians fear that food prices hikes will keep them fromeating adequately, 53.4 percent fear another ecological disaster,47 percent are afraid of price hikes for electricity, 41 percentare afraid of crime, and 25.3 percent fear the establishment ofa dictatorship, Interfax-West reported July 18. Only 11 percentfear that Russia or the West will buy up the country, and only8 percent fear that Belarus may be isolated internationally.

Kuchma, Lukashenko Agree to Closer Contacts.