Minsk - Belarus welcomed on Wednesday a decision by the US to partially lift sanctions on Minsk's state-owned oil firm Belneftekhim.

The decision to unfreeze some foreign bank accounts held by Belneftekhim subsidiaries could hint at a thaw in long-frigid relations between Washington and the authoritarian regime of Belarus' President Aleksander Lukashenko.

Belarus' Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement "greeted the understanding of our American colleagues," referring to the US decision to lift the sanctions on some foreign bank accounts for the Minsk-headquartered Belneftekhim.

Brussels  - The European Union's top diplomat is set to pay his first visit to Belarus on Thursday in a further sign of the thaw in relations between Brussels and Minsk, EU officials confirmed.

Javier Solana is to hold talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov before meeting opposition figures including former presidential candidate Alexander Milinkevich, a statement from Solana's office said.

Minsk/Moscow  - The Justice Ministry of Belarus has after four requests For Freedom democracy movement of the opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich to register as a political party, a spokesman for Milinkevich said Wednesday, according to the Itar-Tass news agency.

The founding of the movement however has not been without controversy, as it is seen by critics as splitting the opposition against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Minsk - Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko on Tuesday warned citizens that effects from the world financial crisis would be felt in the former Soviet republic for at least two years.

"We need to survive 2009 and 2010, and I can tell, these two years will not be simple," the authoritarian leader said in remarks broadcast by the state television company.

"But we shouldn't panic, the situation in the country can be controlled," he added. "I have seen three economic crises in my time (as Belarus' leader), and we have the tools to overcome this one."

Minsk - Thousands of Belarusian small traders took to the streets on Monday as a senior government official announced a phased plan to fight the effects of the world financial crisis.

More than 2,000 protestors gathered in central Minsk to demonstrate against the government's intention to make illegal most small-scale goods imports.

Most of authoritarian Belarus' economy is owned and run by the state. Small-scale import/export trade is one of the few sectors of the economy where free enterprise is allowed.

Minsk/Moscow - The leadership of Belarus lifted a ban on two regime-critical newspapers after almost three years, the advisor to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday in Minsk.

The decision was taken out of domestic interests, but the country hopes for better relations with the West after the step, a source said.

The two papers affected - the Nasha Niva and the Narodnaya Volya - were banned in early 2006 due to "serious breaches." However, those wanting to purchase the papers will have to register by name and have the papers delivered.