Did Lukashenka spend vacations in Austria going against EU sanctions in 2002?
Alyaksandr Lukashenka spent his vacations at a ski resort in Tyrol (Austria) in March 2002. He went against the sanctions that forbade him to visit Schengen states at that moment. The trip was organized by the owner of a network of casinos “Casinos Austria” Leo Wallner who was the head of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Austria, reports RIA “Novosti” referring to an Austrian journalist Erwin Rott. "I have a documentary proof that Lukashenka’s trip together with the people who accompanied him cost about 200 thousand euro”, - said the journalist to the agency.
According to Rott, the services were paid for with the help of a secret Austrian NOC’s account opened by Wallner in Raiffeisenbank on 2001. The journalist thinks that Lukashenka was invited to Austria as the President of the Belarusian National Olympic Committee. It helped him go against the ban on entering the European Union imposed on the Belarusians leader.
The Austrian press and “Die Presse” in particular quote Wallner who claimed that “he did it for the Austrian economy”. According to him, Austria was interested in establishing business contacts with Eastern Europe. In Wallner’s opinion, Lukashenka’s trip was very useful for it.
According to Rott, the services were paid for with the help of a secret Austrian NOC’s account opened by Wallner in Raiffeisenbank on 2001. The journalist thinks that Lukashenka was invited to Austria as the President of the Belarusian National Olympic Committee. It helped him go against the ban on entering the European Union imposed on the Belarusians leader.
The Austrian press and “Die Presse” in particular quote Wallner who claimed that “he did it for the Austrian economy”. According to him, Austria was interested in establishing business contacts with Eastern Europe. In Wallner’s opinion, Lukashenka’s trip was very useful for it.
