15 November 2002
Lukashenko gives name to girl born in Brest to Chechens denied entry to Poland

 Aleksandr Lukashenko gave a name to a Chechen girl born a few days ago in Brest, after her parents were denied entry to Poland. The Belarusian ruler named her Alesya.
The Tazurkayevs traveled to the West to give birth to the child there. Since they were turned back by the Polish border control authorities, the girl was born in a maternity hospital in Brest. Under a Chechen tradition, older members of the family were to have named the child,
but since they were absent, the girl's parents asked in an interview broadcast by Belarusian Television that the Belarusian ruler name their child. Mr. Lukashenko responded to the request.
On November 14, Nina Shpak, chief of the Information Department of the Brest Regional Executive Committee, handed the Tazurkayevs a present, flowers and an amount of money equal to the monthly pay of Mr. Lukashenko. The girl is to be registered at Russia's Consulate General in Brest and supplied with all necessary documents on Friday.
Meanwhile, more than 200 Chechens still stay in Brest waiting for an opportunity to travel to the West. The Consulate General is making everything possible to settle the matter, Russian diplomat Vladimir Burakov said.