MINSK, 4 October (BelTA) – Belarus and Lithuania are set to sign an agreement on small-scale local border traffic any day now, Chairman of the State Border Committee of Belarus Igor Rachkovsky told media on 4 October. In line with the agreement, residents of the near-border zones will be given the right to simplified border crossing rules. It will also increase the export of tourist services. Speaking about the increasing number of Georgia citizens illegally trying to cross the...

MINSK, 4 October (BelTA) – Belarus and Lithuania are set to sign an agreement on small-scale local border traffic any day now, Chairman of the State Border Committee of Belarus Igor Rachkovsky told media on 4 October. In line with the agreement, residents of the near-border zones will be given the right to simplified border crossing rules. It will also increase the export of tourist services. Speaking about the increasing number of Georgia citizens illegally trying to cross the...

MINSK, 1 October (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko believes that despite current issues Belarus-Russia relations have good prospects ahead. Alexander Lukashenko made this statement at a press conference to Russian regional mass media on 1 October, BelTA has learnt. “Let us divide Belarus-Russia relations on two or three levels, like the relations between people, companies, regions and the governments. The first level is relations between people and enterprises. Politics...

MINSK, 30 September (BelTA) – The presidential campaign in Belarus should foster consolidation of the Belarusian society, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Belaya Rus organization Viktor Guminsky said. He opened a seminar of the Minsk Oblast Office of Belaya Rus featuring chairmen of the regional offices on 30 September, BelTA has learnt. The MP emphasized that Belarus has embarked on a very important political campaign and Belaya Rus, one...

MINSK, 29 September (BelTA) – An increase of the first base wage rate from 1 November 2010 will take the salary of the public sector workers up 30% on the average (Br135,000). Thus, the wages will exceed the minimal consumer budget, and, hence, strengthen the workers’ social security, BelTA learnt from Labor and Social Security Minister of Belarus Marianna Shchetkina. “The program for social and economic development of the Republic of Belarus for 2006-2010 envisages an average salary...

MINSK, 28 September (BelTA) – The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus promises maximum tolerance within the scope of the law to potential presidential candidates. This statement was made by CEC Chairperson Lidia Yermoshina on 28 September, BelTA has learnt. “There are rules we cannot break. In line with the constitution, a person can become presidential candidate if he has been supported by at least 100,000 voters. This is why even if 10-20 signatures are missing, there is...

MINSK, 28 September (BelTA) – It is possible to develop transplantation medicine in Belarus and to create new centers for the transplantation of organs and tissues, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said as he visited the National Organ and Tissue Transplantation Center on 28 September. The medics said that the possibility of setting up transplantation centers and performing kidney transplantation surgeries in oblast centers is under consideration. The head of state issued an...

MINSK, 27 September (BelTA) – The Central Election Commission (CEC) has registered an initiative group to nominate incumbent head of state Alexander Lukashenko as a presidential candidate. This decision was made at a session of the CEC on 27 September, BelTA has learnt. The initiative group of the Belarusian President includes 8,403 people. The group is led by Alexander Radkov. One of these days the participants of the group will receive the certificates and signature sheets and will be...

MINSK, 24 September (BelTA) – Interpretation of the state as a ‘warden’ and a passive observer that lives off taxes does not match Belarus, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said in his speech before students and lecturers of the Academy of Public Administration under the aegis of the Belarus President on 24 September. According to the President, the Belarusian state is strong and is responsible for very many areas. Alexander Lukashenko said that in the modern world the role...

MINSK, 23 September (BelTA) – 24 September is the deadline for registering initiative groups to nominate presidential candidates at the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus, BelTA learnt from the CEC. The persons seeking to run for presidency this year should present the documents to the CEC up to and including 24 September. On that day the CEC will work until 7pm. Potential candidates should submit a request to register their initiative group and the list of its members. This...