Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Saturday 21 december 2019
Sri Lankan leader says he became victim in abduction claim

By KRISHAN FRANCIS doesn't match her' ac-
Associated Press count.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Swiss Foreign Minister Ig-
— Sri Lankan President Go- nazio Cassis phoned his
tabaya Rajapaksa said Sri Lankan counterpart,
Thursday that he has be- Dinesh Gunawardena, on
come the victim in the al- Wednesday to discuss the
leged abduction of a Swiss case. He's sending former
Embassy employee who Ambassador Joerg Frieden
was reportedly threatened to Colombo to help resolve
and sexually abused to dis- the dispute over the al-
close embassy-related in- leged "security incident."
formation. A Swiss foreign ministry
Rajapaksa said reports of statement said Thursday
the alleged abduction ap- that Cassis told Gunawar-
peared in foreign media dena that "the health and
before the facts were es- security of staff is of priority"
tablished, and critics ac- to the Swiss foreign minis-
cused his government of try and the Sri Lankan au-
carrying it out. thorities are responsible for
"Now it is very clear. Actu- protecting them going for-
ally in this case the victim is ward.
me, it is not that lady," Raja- Cassis also expressed regret
paksa said in comments to In this Nov. 22, 2019, file photo, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, center, speaks with his that the judge had ordered
foreign media. cabinet colleagues in Colombo, Sri Lanka. the local staff member
"It is very clear that it is a Associated Press put in investigative deten-
planned thing to discredit tion. "The circumstances in
me and the government," tion this was taking place," and summoned Sri Lanka's ing charges that she made prison do not consider her
he said. Rajapaksa said. ambassador to demand statements to create disaf- state of health," the ministry
"Over the years they were The Swiss foreign ministry an investigation. It also criti- fection toward the govern- said. Cassis also asked Gu-
talking about white vans has called the alleged Nov. cized a lack of due process ment and fabricated evi- nawardena to allow her to
and all the abductions. 25 abduction of embassy in the case. dence. be moved to an appropri-
Now they want to say im- employee a "very serious Police have detained the Rajapaksa says evidence ate location, such as a hos-
mediately after my elec- and unacceptable attack" embassy employee pend- collected by investigators pital. q

Is Russia eyeing Belarus takeover? Integration talks deepen

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV day if he could potentially
Associated Press extend his rule by shifting
MOSCOW (AP) — The presi- into a new governing posi-
dents of Belarus and Russia tion to become the head
met Friday to discuss deep- of a union between Russia
er economic ties between and Belarus.
the two close allies amid The idea alarms some resi-
mounting concerns in the dents of Belarus.
Belarusian capital of Minsk "We will not allow Putin to
that Moscow ultimately become the president of a
wants to subdue its neigh- new Russia-Belarus state in
bor. 2024. We will never come
The meeting in the Russian back to the empire," said
city of St. Petersburg was Pavel Severinets, the orga-
the second encounter this nizer of Friday's protest in
month between Russian Minsk.
President Vladimir Putin Police allowed the unsanc-
and his long-time Belaru- tioned protest to proceed
sian counterpart, Alexan- unimpeded, even though
der Lukashenko. Belarusian authorities rou-
Greeting Lukashenko at tinely crack down on op-
the start of Friday's talks, position rallies.
Putin said some progress Demonstrators with old Belarusian flags march to protest closer integration with Russia, which pro- "Lukashenko doesn't want
on resolving outstanding testers fear could erode the post-Soviet independence of Belarus, in downtown in Minsk, Belarus, to become a Russian pro-
issues has been made. But Friday, Dec. 20, 2019. vincial governor," said
Russian Economics Minister Associated Press 20-year-old student Pyotr
Maxim Oreshkin said after Rudkevich, one of the pro-
the talks the two sides had Russia could weaken Be- eastern Ukraine. Putin, who marks two de- testers on Friday.
failed to resolve key differ- larus' independence. Such Over 1,000 demonstrators cades in power later this Russia and Belarus signed
ences over oil and gas. concerns were fueled by rallied in the Belarusian month, has remained coy a union agreement in 1997
The negotiations have trig- Moscow's 2014 annexation capital Minsk on Friday, about his political future that envisaged close politi-
gered opposition protests of Ukraine's Crimean Pen- holding placards that read after his current presiden- cal, economic and military
in Belarus, where many insula and its support for "First Crimea, then Belarus" tial term ends in 2024. He ties, but stopped short of
fear that closer ties with a separatist insurgency in and "Stop Annexation!" dodged a question Thurs- forming a single nation.q