LUKASHENKA SEEKS ENTENTE WITH CASTRO.

In Havana yesterday, Belarusan foreign minister Ivan Antanovich handed over a message from President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to Cuban leader Fidel Castro and an invitation for Castro to visit Belarus. According to Antanovich, "Belarus is especially interested in Cuba’s experience of surviving in complicated conditions and its ability to find its own path, in spite of pressures from outside." Antanovich also said that "Belarus never harbored any urge to stray from Russia toward the pro-western path of development," and added that "in all of our talks with Cuba we keep our allied relations with Russia in mind." The two sides discussed coordination of their positions in international organizations and their priorities in developing bilateral trade, "which was extremely painfully affected by the USSR’s disintegration," Antanovich said. (Itar-Tass, July 1-2)

Lazarenko Resigns.