"Apart from the delegates and guests from the Baltics, the convention is expected to be attended by ethnic Belarusians from Poland, Great Britain, and the United States, as well as by a large delegation from Belarus. The delegation is to include well-known politicians and public figures such as Semyon Sharetsky, Radim Goretsky, Lyavon Borshchevsky, Anatoly Gritskevich and Yury Khodyko."
"Fyodor Nyunko, chairperson of the Society of Belarusian Culture in Lithuania, heads the organizing committee of the convention."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 80; Friday, July 24, 1998; 4:30 p.m.
"'The main issues were not the achievements and problems of Belarusians living in the Baltics in the context of integration into local society, but Belarus' problems,' said Fyodor Nyunka, chairman of the Belarusian Culture Society in Lithuania at a July 27 news conference. According to him, the Convention was attended by 112 delegates from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Kaliningrad, and St. Petersburg. The participants greeted Belarus on the occasion of its Independence Day, July 27; issued a statement about 'the anti-Belarusian activities of the Aleksandr Lukashenko regime'; and made an appeal to the Belarusians living in the Baltic region."
"According to the Baltic News Service (BNS), Taking part in the news conference were Zenon Poznyak, chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), representatives of the World Alliance of Belarusians, and the Belarusian diaspora in the Baltics."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 90; Tuesday, July 28, 1998; 2:10 p.m.
"According to Anna Surmach, chairperson of The World Alliance of Belarusians, Batskawshchyna (Fatherland), the idea to hold regional conventions of ethnic Belarusians belonged to Batskawshchyna. "
"This convention was initiated by Fyodor Nyunka, chairperson of the Lithuanian Association of Belarusian Culture, who also organized the first convention in Vilnius in 1994. The convention was attended by about 150 delegates from the Baltic States, Belarus, and Poland. 'Unfortunately, the organizers of the convention failed to consolidate all national and cultural associations in the region on the basis of the idea of survival and development, and that is why some Belarusian organizations did not take part,' Ms Surmach said."
"Invitations to attend the convention had been extended to Ms Surmach, Batskawshchyna President Radim Goretsky [Radzim Harecki (Haretski)], and representatives of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) and some other organizations in Belarus."
"President Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania sent his greetings to the convention participants. The forum was attended by Andreus Kubeleus, vice chairman of the Lithuanian legislature, and Broneus Grushas, chairman of the Lithuanian Society for Friendship and Cultural Links with Foreign Countries."
"Participants at the convention discussed the cultural life of ethnic Belarusians in the Baltic States. "No matter what Belarusian affairs could be under discussion today, they bring us to Belarus' present-day political realities anyway," said Ms Surmach. According to her, people who were present at the convention would like to see Belarus a really independent, democratic, and internationally respected country and would like to have good relations with it. 'And therefore, we discussed what impedes such relations, the more so, as the Belarusian government absolutely ignored the convention,' she said."
"Participants at the forum laid flowers at the place where Kastus Kalinowski, the leader of a peasant uprising in Belarus in 1863, had been executed; and on the grave of Lyavon Lutskevich, a well-known Lithuanian public figure of Belarusian origin. Commenting on a news conference which was held in Vilnius on July 27, Ms Surmach said, 'The arrogant behaviour of Russian journalists was beyond ethical standards. As before, they were trying to give us 'Big Brother' lessons.'"
"Participants at the convention issued a statement titled, 'On the Anti-Belarusian Activities of the Authorities in Belarus,' adopted an address to Belarusians residing in the Baltics and other neighboring states, and greeted the Belarusians on the 8th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty. On the initiative of BPF Chairman Zenon Poznyak, the convention participants adopted an 'Address to Compatriot Belarusians in the Baltic States on the Establishment of Belarusian National Republic Citizenship.'"
Source: BelaPAN, No. 100; Thursday, July 30, 1998; 01:20 p.m.