MINSK, 3 August (BelTA) - Belarus will take stock of the lands in the regions affected by the Chernobyl disaster in order to put more areas back into economic use, the head of the Chernobyl department of the Emergencies Ministry Vladimir Chernikov told reporters. The decision to make the land inventory in the affected regions was made following a meeting of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers, and on the instruction of the Prime Minister of Belarus. According to Vladimir Chernikov,...

MINSK, 1 August (BelTA) – On 1 August Belarus reduces customs duties on oil and oil products exported outside the Customs Union. This is envisaged by Resolution No. 1007 of the Council of Ministers of 27 July 2011. The resolution came into force on 1 August, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian government. As from 1 August the export duty on one tonne of crude is reduced from $445.1 to $438.2. The export duty on oil containing sulfur makes up $201 except for crude...

MINSK, 27 July (BelTA) - Belarus has concluded more than 700 investment agreements worth $15.3 billion, Kirill Koroteev, head of the main directorate of investments of the Economy Ministry, told reporters on 27 July. “So far the Republic of Belarus has signed more than 700 investment agreements. These agreements will be in force well after 2011. The money will be invested over several years. But the estimated amount of the investment agreements is about $15.3 billion,” said Kirill...

MINSK, 26 July (BelTA) – Retirement pensions and social pensions will be raised in Belarus as from 1 August. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed relevant decree No. 327 on 26 July, the press service of the Belarusian head of state told BelTA. The decree provides for recalculating retirement pensions in August and November 2011, with social pensions raised. As from 1 August retirement pensions will be recalculated using the average salary in Q2 2011. The measure will raise...

MOSCOW, 26 July (BelTA) – An agribusiness association will be created within the framework of the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan. It will include representatives of all the industry unions and associations involved in agribusiness in the three countries. The decision was made at the foundation meeting of the Agribusiness Association of the Customs Union in Moscow on 26 July, BelTA has learned. First Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister of Belarus Nadezhda Kotkovets,...

MINSK, 26 July (BelTA) – In January-June 2011 the credit portfolio of Belarusian banks went up 31% to reach Br116316.3 billion, BelTA learned from the National Bank. According to the National Bank, In H1 2011 the volume of long-term loans issued to Belarusian banks went up 32.6% to reach Br88322.6 billion in July. The volume of short-term loans went up 26.15% to Br27993.7 billion. As of 1 July 2011 long-term loans accounted for 75.9% of the loan debt (up 1.8% over the same period last...

MINSK, 26 July (BelTA) – Sixty-one Belarusian athletes will take part in the 11th European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in Turkey’s Trabzon, BelTA learned from the press service of the National Olympic Committee. с In 1993 Belarus took part in the Olympic festival for the first time. Belarusian athletes scored five medals (two silver and three bronze). In 1995 Belarusians won eight medals (two gold, one silver and five bronze). The best result was shown in 2005 when Belarus’ team...

RAKOV, 25 July (BelTA) – Over 40 logistics centers are being built in Belarus, First Deputy Trade Minister Alexander Zabello told reporters on 23 July, BelTA has learnt. Belarus’ logistics program to run until 2015 was studied by the Presidium of the Council of Ministers in June. On 23 July Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich was briefed on the state of efforts to construct one of the biggest transport and logistics centers in the town of Rakov, Volozhin District...

MINSK, 25 July (BelTA) – Fifty-three athletes from Belarus have booked their tickets to the Olympic Games in London so far, BelTA learnt from the press service of the National Olympic Committee. Belarusians have booked Olympic berths in six sports. Table tennis (2): Vladimir Samsonov, Victoria Pavlovich. Shooting (4): Sergei Martynov (air rifle, prone shooting), Victoria Chaika, Konstantin Lukashyk (air pistol), and Andrei Kazak (pistol). Archery (1): Yekaterina Timofeyeva. Athletics...

MINSK, 18 July (BelTA) - Belarusian athletes won 5 medals at the European Athletics U-23 Championship in Ostrava, Czech Republic, this past weekend, BelTA was told in the Belarusian Athletics Federation Alina Talai took the title in the 100m hurdles with the result of 12.91 seconds. Silver medalists were Anastasia Kashtanova (discus throw, 56.25m) and Eduard Mikhan (decathlon, 8,152 points). Bronze went to Oleg Dubitsky (hammer throw, 72.52m) and Yana Maksimova (heptathlon, 6075 points)....