| March 2006 |
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The speaker of Transdnestr's parliament met with senior Russian MPs Monday to request humanitarian aid for the breakaway region of Moldova. 
About 3,000 people with red and white flags gathered in Minsk's central square chanting "Freedom!" and "Shame!" 
"The results of the elections point to voters' trust in your policies and to the further growth of the prosperity of the Belarusian people," Putin said. 
Iran denied Monday media reports that it was to open a euro-based oil exchange.
"The March 19 presidential election did not meet the required international standards for free and fair elections," Alcee Hastings, a U.S. congressman who chairs the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's parliamentary assembly, told a news conference in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. 
"We respect Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as enshrined in the 2001 Russian-Moldovan Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation," Nikolai Ryabov said, adding that Ukraine was to blame for current tensions around the region. 
"It would be very difficult to isolate Belarus and strangle it economically," he said. "More than 100 million tons of cargo are transited via Belarus. If the European Union wants problems, it will have them." 
"The presidential elections are over but they were held in conditions of unprecedented foreign pressure and aggressive behavior by the opposition," said Lukashenko, who was elected for a third term Sunday with 82.6% of the vote. 
Russia's foreign ministry Monday expressed concern over the United States' new national security strategy and said it could worsen bilateral relations. 



