MINSK, 20 August (BelTA) – The Republic of Belarus strongly condemns the terror acts committed in the Iraqi capital and denounces any forms of extremism. This statement was made by the Foreign Ministry of Belarus following the wave of blasts in Baghdad that killed and wounded dozens of civilians on 19 August. Nearly simultaneous truck bombs struck Iraq’s Foreign and Finance ministries, and the Parliament. “These blasts are aimed to destabilize the situation in the country and...

RADOSHKOVICHI, 20 August (BelTA) – US businessmen have shown their interest in the ceramic ware produced by the Belkhudozhkeramika Company, director general of the company Yuri Katsnelson noted during his meeting with representatives of the Belarusian tourist industry. Next week, the company management will have a meeting with the US businessmen to discuss the possibility of export of Belarusian ceramic ware to the USA. At present, Belkhudozhkeramika exports its products to Russia,...

VITEBSK, 19 August (BelTA) – A monument to St Nicholas the Wonderworker will be unveiled in Polotsk ahead of a visit of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, BelTA learnt from chief specialist of the Polotsk town executive committee Stanislav Krassovski. The monument will be transported from Moscow to Polotsk in late August. Polotsk is currently busy with preparing the ground for the monument which will be erected not far from St Euphrosyne Convent, at a place of a destroyed tower....

MINSK, 19 August (BelTA) – Belarus has selected pilot regions for the implementation of the EU/UNDP Sustainable Development at Local Level project, BelTA learnt from Vladislav Khilkevich, information coordinator for the UN Development Programme in Belarus. The preliminary selection took place in Minsk on 18 August. The project envisages close cooperation between the authorities and local communities at the regional level. Therefore, the regions interested in the development of Local...

MINSK, 18 August (BelTA) – Belarus implements housing construction projects outside Belarus, Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus (NBRB) Piotr Prokopovich told President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on 18 August, BelTA learnt from the presidential press service. Alexander Lukashenko heard out a report on the execution of his instructions on housing construction in Belarus. The President wanted to know what measures the government and local authorities...

MINSK, 17 August (BelTA) – The agricultural companies of Belarus harvested 6.674,3 million tonnes of grain as of early 17 August. The average yield is 38.6 centners per hectare, BelTA learnt from the Agriculture and Food Ministry. The Minsk, Grodno and Brest oblasts have hit one million tonnes of grain apiece. The highest result has been in the Minsk oblast – 1.707,8 million tonnes. The agricultural companies threshed 1.309,7 million tonnes in the Grodno oblast, 1.140,4 million tonnes in...

MINSK, 14 August (BelTA) – Permanent Commission for International Affairs and Ties with CIS of the House of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly has recommended to ratify the protocol on amendments to the agreement on harmonization of technical regulations of the EurAsEC participating countries. Valery Koreshkov noted that the EurAsEC technical regulations will be adopted as international agreements. They will stand above the national legislations of the EurAsEC members....

MOSCOW, 14 August (BelTA) – More than 200 young singers from Belarus and Russia will take part in the Union State’s music festival which will open in the Russian town of Anapa on 17 August, BelTA learnt from the Permanent Committee of the Belarus-Russia Union State. A great carnival will open the festival. And then, it will be held in children’s resorts of Anapa – ‘Zhemchuzhina Kubani’, ‘Primorje’, ‘Chernomorets’, ‘Vita’, ‘Zhemchuzhina Rossii’, ‘Premiera’....

Max Mirnyi of Belarus and Israel’s Andy Ram defeated Likas Dlouhy of the Czech Republic and Philipp Petzschner from Germany 6:2, 6:3 in the doubles quarterfinals of Rogers Cup, Montreal, Canada. Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (world No.9) lost to Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 5:7, 6:7 in the third round of the Cincinnati Open. БЕЛТА

MOSCOW, 13 August (BelTA) – The eleventh joint session of the State Security Committee of Belarus and the Federal Security Service of Russia took place in Kaliningrad on 12 August. The session was presided by the chairman of Belarus’ KGB Lieutenant-General Vadim Zaitsev and Russia’s FSS Director Army General Alexander Bortnikov, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian Embassy in Russia. The session discussed a wide range of issues of cooperation including counteracting international terrorism...