Equal conditions should be created for all the candidates for deputies. The parliamentary elections in Belarus should be held without a backward glance at the West or East, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said at the conference on the organization of parliamentary elections. “All the candidates should be provided with an equal access to the media so that no one will blame us for creating favourable conditions for some of the candidates while acting in the opposite way towards the...

Belarus and Lithuania will set the final quota for the permissions for cargoes and passengers transportation for 2008 and the preliminary quota for 2009. This problem will be considered during a session of the joint Belarusian-Lithuanian Commission for International Highway Service in Vilnius on July 17-18. As BelTA learnt from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Transport and Communications, during the session the two sides will share the statistical information about cargoes...

Transparent parliamentary elections in Belarus will contribute to the development of a dialogue with the EU member states, deputy chairman of the committee for human rights and humanitarian aid of the German Bundestag Holger Heibach said at the meeting with a group of deputies of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus on July 9. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with Belarusian parliamentarians elected in the course of free elections,” Holger Heibach said....

A strategic fund for the joint development of Belarus and Venezuela began to function and the first $90 million were already transferred to its account, First Vice-Premier of Belarus Vladimir Semashko said at a reception dedicated to the Independence Day of Venezuela in the Palace of Republic on July 8. This strategic fund is designed to finance joint projects in different areas. The initial size of the fund is $500 million. Vladimir Semashko underlined that Belarus and Venezuela are...

Belarusian agricultural machinery has won 7 gold medals and 8 Grand Prix at the 5th international specialized exhibition Russian Field Day 2008 which was held in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation, BelTA learnt in the Belarusian Industry Ministry. During the exhibition, the Belarusian exposition displayed the equipment produced by famous Belarusian agricultural machinery producers, such as Gomselmash, Minsk Tractor Works, Bobruiskagromash, Amkodor, BelautoMAZ, Bobruiskselmash and...

In a month, on August 8 at 8pm, an official opening ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games will start in China’s capital Beijing. A month ahead the Olympic Games 212 Belarusian athletes won the licenses in 26 sports to participate in the Olympic Games, BelTA learnt from press representative of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus Piotr Ryabukhin. An additional license or the so-called wildcard will be granted to trap shooter Andrei Gerashchenko. The Belarusian Cycling Federation is...

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree to relieve Viktor Sheiman of the post of the State Secretary of the Security Council in connection with the transfer to another job on July 8, BelTA learnt from the presidential press service. The Belarusian head of state also signed a decree to relieve Gennady Nevyglas of the post of the Head of the Presidential Administration due to his transfer to another job.

During the accident on July 4 the security and emergencies services did not act promptly, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said when hearing a blast investigation report on July 7. “I am asked very often why I went to see the explosion site. I would not have done this if I had not seen dozens of ambulance cars which were queuing there until I came,” the President said. “It attracted peoples’ attention and the situation could turn into a panic,” he added. The Head of State...

The parliamentary elections should become a springboard for the development of cooperation between the European Union and Belarus, the EU representatives said at the meeting with the Central Election Commission of Belarus (CEC) that was held in Minsk on July 7, BelTA learnt from CEC Secretary Nikolai Lozovik. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Belarus Mireille Musso gave a speech as a representative of France, the EU President in 2008. Attending the meeting was Head...

In 2008, companies of the Belarusian Industry Ministry will invest Br100 billion in modernization of casting, metallurgical, thermal, galvanic and other power-consuming productions, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Industry Ministry. In particular, the Belarusian Steel Works will modernize the baking and heating installation of the industrial ladle in electric-furnace melting shop#1. BelautoMAZ, MTZ, Belagromash, Atlant, Tsentrolit and other companies of the Industry Ministry will...