LUKASHENKO REFUSES TO RETRACT PRAISE OF HITLER.

Belarus president Aleksandr Lukashenko yesterday defended remarks he made in an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt, in which he praised Adolf Hitler for his creation of a strong German state, and compared his own role to that of the Nazi leader. "The history of Germany," Lukashenko said, "is a mold for the history of Belarus… It took centuries to form the German order. Under Hitler, this formation reached its highest point. This corresponds with our understanding of a presidential republic and the role of a president in it." He agreed, however, that the consequences of Hitler’s leadership "were bad in foreign policy." (1)

Azerbaijan Names Foreign Consortium to Support Oil Extraction, Transport.