MINSK, 16 December (BelTA) - A total of 7.2% of voters cast their votes on the first two days of early voting in Belarus, Secretary of the Central Election Commission Nikolai Lozovik told BelTA. So far, 5.9% of voters have cast their ballots in Brest Oblast, 11.4% - in Vitebsk Oblast, 6.1% - in Gomel Oblast, 8.1% - in Grodno Oblast, 6.3% - in Minsk Oblast, 8.2% - in Mogilev Oblast and 5.8% in the city of Minsk. An estimated 9% of voters took part in early voting outside the country....

MINSK, 15 December (BelTA) – A total of 3.4% of voters cast their votes on the first day of early voting in Belarus on 14 December, Secretary of the Central Election Commission Nikolai Lozovik told belTA. The lists of citizens eligible to vote number almost 7.044 million people. Nearly 237,000 of them have already taken an opportunity to vote early. 2.6% of voters cast their ballots early in Brest Oblast, 5% - in Vitebsk Oblast, 4.2% - in Gomel Oblast, 3.1% - in Grodno Oblast, 3% - in...

MINSK, 14 December (BelTA) – Early voting at the presidential election in Belarus starts on 14 December, BelTA learnt from the Central Election Commission (CEC). Over 6,000 polling stations will be open in Belarus and outside the country. All polling stations have been provided with ballot papers. Some 7.447 million ballot papers have been printed in Belarus for the presidential election. Election commissions met ahead of the early voting to check up on the readiness for the elections...

MINSK, 13 December (BelTA) – Belarusians will have a peaceful and secure life on the their land, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at the final gala-concert We are Belarus in the Football Arena in Minsk on 11 December. The head of state thanked for the invitation to attend the concert. He noted he came to congratulate the youth on the final of this wonderful public and cultural action prepared by the Belarusian figures of art, television and reporters. The president stressed:...

MOSCOW, 10 December (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed speculations about the alleged deterioration of relations with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The Belarusian head of state made this statement following the CSTO summit in Moscow on 10 December, BelTA has learnt. “There was no quarrel between Medvedev and me”, Alexander Lukashenko said. “When still in Minsk I said that ill-wishers hope in vain. Just as fast our relations went bad, the same way they...

MINSK, 9 December (BelTA) – Ballot papers will be delivered to the polling stations on 13 December, secretary of the Central Election Commission Nikolai Lozovik told BelTA. “By law, ballots must be delivered to the polling stations the day before early voting, i.e. 13 December,” Nikolai Lozovik said. He added that the printing of ballots is in progress. By decision of the CEC, 7.447 million ballot papers will be made for the 2010 presidential election. The number of ballot papers...

MINSK, 8 December (BelTA) - Gomel Chemical Plant is set to triple the output of NPK-fertilizers to 1.26 million tonnes a year, BelTA learnt from Belneftekhim. According to its investment program for 2009-2015, Gomel Chemical Plant intends to revamp primary production lines and to build a new section for NPK-fertilizers. It will allow to increase the volume of production of NPT-fertilizers up to 1.26 million tonnes a year and to meet the demand of domestic agricultural organizations. The...

GRODNO, 7 December (BelTA) – The government of Belarus is open for a dialogue with the church, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education (the education ministry in Vatican) Zenon Grocholewski told reporters on 7 December, BelTA has learnt. The cardinal said that during his previous visits to Belarus he discussed the cooperation between the state and church with Belarusian authorities. “We do not see any problems in the relations between the Catholic or Orthodox Church and the...

MINSK, 7 December (BelTA) - National priorities for the future five years are three ‘I’ – Initiative, Innovation and Investment, Alexander Yakobson, chairman of the Gomel Oblast Executive Committee, said at the Fourth All-Belarus People’s Congress. Human development is impossible without initiative, the modernization of production - without innovation, and sustainable regional development - without investment. “All that we have already achieved and will achieve in the future lay...

MINSK, 6 December (BelTA) – Belarus is close to the ultimate goal – high living standards and the quality of life of its people. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko made the statement in his opening speech at the Fourth All-Belarus People’s Congress on 6 December. Such congresses are respected and recognized in Belarus, said the Belarusian head of state. “It would suffice to recall their chronology,” said Alexander Lukashenko. The President reminded that the first congress...