Lukashenka having vacation in grand style at resort in Serbia amid crisis (Updated, photo)
- 2.03.2009, 9:29
Alyaksandr Lukashenka is enjoying his holidays at a prestigious ski resort in Serbia.
It has been reported by “Nasha Niva” newspaper with a reference to the Serbian information agency Beta.
Mount Kopaonik in the south of Serbia is the most prestigious place for winter vacation in the country.
A Boeing 737, carrying the Belarusian dictator and his associates, touched down at Konstantin Veliki airport in Niš in the south of Serbia on Saturday.
From there, Lukashenka travelled to the winter resort, where he will spend the next week, according to unofficial information, the Serbian agency reports.
At the same time, Belarusian official information agency BelTA reports that Lukashenka is paying a “working visit” to Serbia.
According to BelTA, the Belarusian head of state will hold meetings with the country’s leadership and representatives of the business circles. “The agenda features expansion of trade and economic relations in all the areas, prospects of European regional cooperation, topical global issues,” the agency reports.
The agency also notes that Lukashenka plans to spend some of his vacation in Serbia.
Lukashenka having a rest with his sons and 150-person escort
According to Serbian edition Vesti, the Belarusian ruler, his sons’ families, and 150-person escort stayed at presidential Grand hotel. It is reported that the president’s plane carried 50 cars to the airport in Niš.
The Grand Hotel confirmed information that the high ranking Belarusian guest stayed there, but refused to say any details. As Serbian journalists have learnt from an anonymous manager of Grand, the hotel staff hadn’t been warned about a visit of such a high official – they had just been said a Belarusian delegation was to come.
“We were surprised to see him, and moreover, his retinue – sons and their families, securities, a cook, child nurses,” a representative of the hotel tells.
He also added that the high ranking guest tried not to stand out from other visitors, expect fro the fact that “Lukashenka’s cook made meal with the hotel’s cooks”.
“The Belarusian ruler doesn’t have any special requirements. He has meal in a restaurant like other people, stays in lift queues. We are doing our best for the Belarusian president to visit us again next year.”
It should be reminded that Lukashenka had his vacations in Austria in 2002 and 2004. He also spent his holidays in Kazakhstan at a famous Chimbulak resort and at Krvavec ski resort in Slovenia (journalists found the Belarusian ruler in Brdo estate, where rooms are fabulously expensive).
By the Way
It should be reminded that a mission of the International Monetary Fund stays in Minsk from March 3 to March 10. The purpose of the visit is studying the latest changes in the economy of Belarus. This is an intermediate visit of the representatives of the fund in the frameworks of a stand-by arrangement program before a survey mission scheduled for April.
What is known about mount Kopaonik?
The highest point is 2017m above sea level
The ski resort lies 1770m above sea level
The mount height is 2017m
Maximal vertical drop is 512m
Overall length of tracks is 60km
The number of lifts is 22
11 easy runs
7 medium runs
4difficult runs
The longest run is 3.5km
In the picture: the hotel where Lukashenka and his retinue stay
