Belarus is interested in enhancing the dialogue with the UNICEF on the rights of children, Belarus’ Education Minister Igor Karpenko said as he met with outgoing representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to Belarus Dr. Rashed Mustafa Sarwar in Minsk on 7 July, BelTA learned from the press service of the Education Ministry. Igor Karpenko noted Belarus’ high interest in maintaining and enhancing the dialogue with UNICEF, including in the achievement of the...

The agreements on visa facilitation and readmission between Belarus and the European Union entered into force on 1 July, BelTA reports. In line with the agreement on visa facilitation, the cost of a short-term Schengen visa for Belarusians has dropped to €35. The agreement also provides for a possibility to waive visa fees for certain categories of applicants. In addition to that, the maximum fee charged by visa application centers for facilitating visa processes has also been reduced,...

MINSK, 23 June (BelTA) - Regional development should be a priority in the work to achieve the SDGs in Belarus. Its main drivers will be specialization, integrated approach, enterprise and cooperation, Vice Speaker of the Council of the Republic, national coordinator for the Sustainable Development Goals Anatoly Isachenko said at a videoconference meeting of the Council for Sustainable Development, BelTA has learned. Members of the Council for Sustainable Development, representatives of the...

MINSK, 17 June (BelTA) – The Belarusian car factory Unison has started assembling Changan cars, the company's press service told BelTA. A compact crossover Changan CS35 Plus was the first car to roll off Unison's assembly line. The company intends to start making other models in the future as well. Deputy Director General of Changan International, Director General of OOO Changan Motors Rus Sun Zejun noted that the launch of production in Belarus is another strategically important step in...

MINSK (BelTA) – Belarus is indeed interested in joining the World Trade Organization as soon as possible on mutually acceptable terms. Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chief Negotiator on Belarus' accession to the WTO Vladimir Serpikov made the relevant statement during a meeting of the informal group of the countries joining the WTO, BelTA learned from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Belarus to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations...

MINSK, 29 May (BelTA) – The products of the Belarusian steel mill BMZ will go to Ukraine via the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange (BUCE), BelTA learned from spokesman for the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange Roman Yaniv. “Today, the BUCE has launched weekly trading in BMZ products on the Ukrainian market. In line with the agreement with the BMZ, only one commodity position, i.e. reinforcing bar A500C, will be exported at the initial stage, with the supply to the border of...

MINSK (BelTA) – Foreign investors injected $2.8 billion into the real sector of Belarusian economy (apart from banks) in January-March 2020, BelTA learned from the National Statistics Committee. Among the main investors in Belarus were economic entities of Russia (35.7% of the total), Cyprus (15%), and Austria (8.4%). Foreign direct investments (FDI) made up $2.1 billion, or 75.1% of the total foreign investments. In Q1 2020, Belarusian organizations (apart from banks) invested a total of...

MINSK, 8 May (BelTA) – The Belarusian parliament have set the country's presidential election for 9 August, BelTA has learned. Chairman of the House of Representatives Vladimir Andreichenko stressed that the MPs are in for a serious and responsible political organizational work taking into account the importance of this political event for the country. According to Vladimir Andreichenko, this work will be conducted both in the parliament and election constituencies “to ensure that the...

MINSK (BelTA) – An investment project to build the Gomel-Gorki trunk line will be implemented in 2020-2023 for the sake of diversifying oil import to Belarus. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed the relevant executive order on 29 April, BelTA has learned. OAO Gomeltransneft Druzhba is the customer for the services of designing and building the trunk line. The industrial group Belorusneft is the general design company and the general contractor for the project. Central government...

MINSK, 8 April (BelTA) – A delegation of the World Health Organization arrived in Belarus in the evening of 7 April, BelTA learned from the press service of the Healthcare Ministry. The delegation includes three experts. The mission will work in Belarus from 8 April till 11 April. The WHO experts will assess the situation and the adequacy of coronavirus containment efforts in Belarus and analyze clinical protocols and approaches to providing medical help. The WHO specialists will inspect...