MINSK, 21 February (BelTA) - The state will be working to further enhance the prestige of military service in Belarus, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with the Armed Forces personnel. According to Alexander Lukashenko, there is a need to improve social security of military personnel. “In general, the salaries of officers are now above the average in the country, which corresponds to global trends. But this is more true for senior officers. Younger officers are not...

MINSK, 18 February (BelTA) – Belarus is determined to raise $6.4 billion worth of foreign direct investments in 2011, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Rumas told an extended session of the permanent committee for foreign investments of the Advisory Board of the Council of Ministers of Belarus on 18 February, BelTA has learnt. “In 2011 the country should increase the inflow of capital investments by 16-17%. At least 21% should be foreign investments. To maintain the sustainable...

MINSK, 17 February (BelTA) – All the issues between partners should be addressed by means of an open and constructive dialogue, Andrei Savinykh, Press Secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus, told reporters on 17 February commenting on the current state of relations between Belarus and Europe, BelTA has learnt. “Today the relations between Belarus and the EU are rather strained. To a great extent it was caused by the EU’s unilateral actions and adoption of decisions following the...

GOMEL, 16 February (BelTA) – Gomel, Bryansk and Chernihiv Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI) signed a cooperation agreement in Bryansk on 16 February, BelTA learned from Yuliya Grishina, a foreign trade specialist of the Gomel Office of the Belarusian CCI. The document was signed at the Belarus-Russia-Ukraine business forum, which welcomed representatives of the CCI regional officies of the three counties. The forum is part of international exhibition “The Commonwealth 2011”,...

MINSK, 16 February (BelTA) - Belarus plans to increase the annual production of grain to 12 million tonnes by 2015, Deputy Prime Minister Valery Ivanov said when speaking in the House of Representatives, BelTA has learnt. According to the Vice Premier, annual potato production will be increased to almost 8 million tonnes, vegetables up to 2 million tonnes, rape seed – 1.1 million tonnes, sugar beet – 5.5 million tonnes. By the end of five-year period the annual production of milk is...

MINSK, 14 February (BelTA) – The groundwork on the Belarusian nuclear power plant project will begin in August-September 2011, First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko said at a session of the Energy Efficiency Department of the State Committee for Standardization on 11 February, BelTA has learnt. “We will start the work on the construction of the nuclear power plant this year,” said Vladimir Semashko. “The preparatory period is almost over. We have signed a document...

MOGILEV, 10 February (BelTA) – In the current five-year period the subsidies for housing and utilities services for households will be cut in Belarus down to 40%, BelTA learnt from Minister of Housing and Utilities Services Vladimir Belokhvostov who took part in the final conference of the Mogilevlift labor collective on 10 February. In his words, the relevant program has already been developed. It takes into consideration the increase in salaries and was reconciled with the Finance...

MINSK, 9 February (BelTA) – High winds around Belarus brought by the Nicholas hurricane have knocked out power to 1,318 villages, BelTA learnt from the Emergencies Ministry. According to the ministry, the worst hit areas included Grodno (431 villages), Mogilev (275) and Vitebsk (267) Oblasts. Power supplies have also been cut to 186 villages of Mogilev Oblast, 71 villages of Brest Oblast and 88 villages of Gomel Oblast. There have been reports on eight roofs brought down by the storm....

MINSK, 8 February (BelTA) – The draft export development program for 2011-2015 will be considered in a session of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers of Belarus on 8 February, BelTA learnt from the Council of Ministers’ Office. The national program has been developed as part of the major guidelines of the social and economic development program of the Republic of Belarus for 2011-2015 approved at the Fourth All-Belarus People’s Congress. The major goal of the new program is to...

MOSCOW, 7 February (BelTA) – The audit agencies of Belarus and Russia are set to monitor the efficiency of the Union State programs, Chairman of the State Control Committee of Belarus Alexander Yakobson told media after a joint session of the State Control Committee of Belarus and the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation in Moscow on 7 February. According to Alexander Yakobson, the Belarusian side suggested including the audit of the efficiency of the Union State programs into the...