MINSK, 7 September (BelTA) – The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus has received the documents from five candidates for the post of the President of Belarus, BelTA informs. The documents to be registered as presidential candidates have been submitted by Tatiana Korotkevich, Sergei Gaidukevich, Nikolai Ulakhovich and incumbent President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. The documents were also submitted by Viktor Tereshchenko, who failed to collect the necessary 100,000 valid...

MINSK, 28 August (BelTA) – Efforts to find ways of mutually beneficial economic partnership between Belarus and the Baltic states represent the key to good neighborly relations. The opinion was voiced by Alexei Dzermant, a research officer of the Philosophy Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, during the roundtable session held on 27 August to discuss prospects of the Baltic region, BelTA has learned. The researcher said: “Searching for vacant niches in the real...

MINSK, 17 August (BelTA) – Belarus’ priorities within the next five years will include the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Belarus Economy Minister Vladimir Zinovsky said in an interview with the ONT TV show Kontury on 16 August, BelTA has learned. “We believes that SMEs rapid development is behind the progress within the next five years. Besides, loans should be distributed through competition,” the minister noted. According to Vladimir Zinovsky, the...

MINSK, 7 August (BelTA) – Belarus and Pakistan are in talks to set up joint ventures in mechanical engineering, petrochemistry and woodworking, Industry Minister of Belarus Vitally Vovk said at a meeting of the Belarusian-Pakistani intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation on 7 August, BelTA informs. It is expected that joint companies will be opened both in Belarus and Pakistan. “We are interested not only in the supply of goods but also in setting up new...

MINSK, 31 July (BelTA) – The OSCE has started recruiting for the Election Observation Mission to the Republic of Belarus, BelTA learned from the official website of the organization. “Following an official invitation to observe the presidential election in the Republic of Belarus, scheduled for 11 October 2015, based on the findings and conclusions of the Needs Assessment Mission deployed from 14-17 July 2015, and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE/ODIHR is preparing to deploy an...

MINSK, 21 July (BelTA) - Belarus has prepared the concept of the state Antarctic program for 2016-2020 and for the period until 2025, Alexei Gaidashov, the deputy head of the polar research center of the National Academy of Sciences, head of the Belarusian Antarctic expedition, said during a meeting between the NASB representatives and a delegation of Russia’s Arctic and Antarctic Institute and the Russian Antarctic expedition led by head of the Russian Antarctic expedition Valery Lukin,...

Belarus welcomes the open nature of the BRICS association and is ready to take an active part in various avenues of cooperation as a friendly state. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement during the meeting of leaders of the BRICS member states and leaders of the invited countries on 9 July, BelTA has learned. The Belarusian head of state said: “We have been consistently promoting the idea of integration of integrations in the modern world for a long time. Belarus is a...

VITEBSK, 9 July (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko revers the art festival Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk, which performs an important peacemaking mission through art and friendship along with other political, economic, and other events. The statement was made by Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Natalia Kochanova during the press conference held on 9 July to highlight the opening of the art festival Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk, BelTA has learned. “This international event has...

MINSK, 30 June (BelTA) – Belarus will reduce export duties on oil and oil products which are exported beyond the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union on 1 July. The relevant decision is laid down by Council of Ministers’ executive order No. 535 of 26 June 2015 published on the National Legal Internet Portal on 30 June, BelTA has learned. The export duty on crude oil will drop from $144.4 to $143.1 per tonne. The export duty on straight-run gasoline will go down from $122.7...

MOSCOW, 18 June (BelTA) – Saint Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Russia Igor Petrishenko on 18 June. During the meeting the Governor suggested that Belarusian enterprises should be permanent participants of the exhibition at premises of the import substitution center that will open in autumn 2015, the press service of the Embassy of Belarus in Russia told BelTA. According to the source, the Ambassador backed the...