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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">July 14, 2006 <i>(6:50 p.m. EDT)</i><br>
No. 81</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">STATEMENT BY MINISTER MACKAY ON BELARUS</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency, today issued the following statement in reaction to the
sentencing of Belarusian opposition leader Alexander Kozulin to five and a half years in
jail:</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Canada condemns the unreasonably harsh sentence imposed on former presidential
candidate Alexander Kozulin for exercising his democratic right to protest.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“This is yet another example of the utter disregard of the Lukashenko regime for the
democratic rights of the Belarusian people. We call on the authorities of Belarus to
show moderation in this case and respect the fundamental human rights of its citizens.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Canada has initiated action to amend the Export Control List to place Belarus on the
Area Control List (ACL) by pre-publication in the <i>Canada Gazette</i>. Once this process
has been completed, a permit issued under authority of the Export and Import Permits
Act will be required to authorize the lawful export of any goods from Canada to Belarus.
Once Belarus is added to the ACL, permits for humanitarian goods will generally be
approved.”<span> </span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">- 30 -</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada<br>
613-995-1874<br>
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221012347/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
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