MINSK, 20 December (BelTA) – Foreign Minister of Belarus Vladimir Makei and representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Belarus Yuri Oksamitny met on 19 December to discuss the current status and prospects of cooperation between Belarus and UNICEF and review the joint work over the past five years, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus. The parties praised a high level of cooperation during Minsk's Junior Eurovision held in...

MINSK, 12 December (BelTA) – Belarus will showcase its most advanced scientific solutions at the international exposition Expo 2017, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Commissioner General at Expo 2017 Rapil Zhoshybayev said as he visited the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB), BelTA has learned. "Astana may become a great platform for Belarus to demonstrate its cutting-edge research solutions to the international community," Rapil Zhoshybayev said. Kazakhstan's...

MINSK, 5 December (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko backed the proposal of the Investigation Committee to reduce the age of criminal responsibility for selling drugs from 16 to 14 years. The idea was discussed at the government conference held by the Belarus president on 4 December to discuss the counteraction of the illegal turnover of narcotic substances, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogs, BelTA has learned. Among the proposals voiced during the...

MINSK, 28 November (BelTA) - The governments of Belarus and Russia are in favor of developing a single payment system in the Eurasian Economic Union, Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich said opening the 7th meeting of the Belarus-St. Petersburg Business Cooperation Council, BelTA has learned. This issue was discussed, among others, on the sidelines of the session of the CIS Council of CIS Heads of Government in Ashgabat with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. "We are in...

MINSK, 21 November (BelTA) – Belarus demonstrates adherence to holding free election campaigns. The statement was made by Nikolai Samoseiko, Chairman of the International Affairs Commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia, during a video briefing on 20 November, BelTA has learned. "Belarus' accession to the convention on standards of democratic elections, voting rights...

MINSK, 14 November (BelTA) – Any attempts to privatize or stay in employer-provided homes after the contract is over are inadmissible. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement at the government conference held on 13 November to discuss proposals regarding the procedure for allocating commercial residential premises to individual categories of civil servants, BelTA has learned. "Please, keep in mind that such homes are rented. Any attempts to privatize or stay in...

MOGILEV, 6 November (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko intends to call a number of government conferences soon to discuss the most troublesome aspects of the country's development. Alexander Lukashenko made the relevant statement at the government conference held in Mogilev Oblast on 5 November, BelTA has learned. In particular, in the near future the government will have to present its report and the social and economic development forecast will be discussed in addition to...

MINSK, 31 October (BelTA) – On 1 November 2014 Belarus will reduce export duties on oil and oil products exported outside the customs territory of the Customs Union. The decision is stipulated in Resolution No. 1010 of the Council of Ministers as of 27 October 2014, BelTA has learned. The export duty on crude oil will go down from $344.7 to $316.7 per tonne. The duty on straight-run gasoline and commercial gasoline will make up $285 per tonne ($310.2 per tonne at present). The export...

MINSK, 24 October (BelTA) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko demands that the public funds spent on supporting intellectuals should yield results. Alexander Lukashenko made this statement as he met with Belarusian intellectuals on 23 October, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian head of state. The President drew attention to the fact that the government invests in the promotion of cinema. "This has not yielded any results yet. And this is people's money,"...

VITEBSK, 17 October (BelTA) – The European Union is ready to finance consulting services and the acquisition of equipment for implementing pilot projects for the sustainable development of regions of Belarus, BelTA learned from Peter Korsby, supervisor of the international technical aid project "Support to regional and local development in Belarus". On 16 October Peter Korsby took part in the session of the project's working group in the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee. Peter Korsby...