The cooperation agreement on religions and national minorities was signed in Kiev by Commissioner for Religious and Ethnic Affairs of Belarus Leonid Gulyako and chairman of Ukraine’s State Committee for Nationalities and Religions Alexander Sagan, BelTA was told in the press service of the Ukraine’s State Committee for Nationalities and Religions. According to the agreement and in conformance with the active legislation of the two countries the sides undertake to support public...

The final decision was made to switch Belarusian secondary schools to the 11-year education scheme at the government session held by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to table the development of general secondary education. According to Anatoly Rubinov, First Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus, the switch to the 11-year scheme is well-planned and will not lead to shocks. “The best school practices will be preserved. The changes a decree is...

Belarus plans to construct up to 10 million sq. m. of housing by 2011. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed the relevant Decree #291 “Development of construction sector” on June 3. The Document aims at strengthening the material and technical basis of organizations working in the area of construction and production of construction materials, BelTA was told in the presidential press service. The measures stipulated in the Decree will help modernize the material and technical...

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is expected to take part in the CIS informal summit in St. Petersburg on June 6, BelTA was told in the presidential press service.

A Belarusian photo exhibition “Preventing human trafficking: strengthening cooperation and coordination of efforts” was opened in the UN headquarters in New York, BelTA was told in the Permanent Representative Office of the Republic Belarus at the United Nations. The photo exhibition was organized by the UN Belarusian mission and was timed for the human trafficking debate at the UN General Assembly on June 3. Attending the opening ceremony of the exhibition in the UN Secretariat were...

In 2009 the budget revenues are projected to increase 20% over 2008. As BelTA was told in the presidential press service, the 2009 draft budget issues were on the agenda of a meeting between President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky. The 2009 budget parameters are based on the projections of the 10-12% GDP growth and 9-11% inflation. In 2009 the revenues are expected to increase by 20% over 2008. Alexander Lukashenko instructed the Government to optimise...

Foreign students from the three Grodno universities will take part in the Festival of National Cultures that will be held in Grodno May 13-15. The students from Lebanon, Syria, India, Sri Lanka and Palestine are participating in this forum for the first time. They are going to set up a multinational ground “Students’ round dance”. The centre for mass communications of Grodno Yanka Kupala State University told BelTA that in the course of the festival the students will perform their...

Wages in the public sector in Belarus will average $430 by the end of 2008, $550 by the end of 2009. The average wages in the real product sector will be equal to $600-630, Prime Minister of the country Sergei Sidorsky informed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, BelTA was told in the head of state’s press service. In the State of the Nation Address in April the President of Belarus set the target before the Government to raise the wages to $700 in equivalent by 2010. Alexander...

In January-May the official exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble against the US dollar gained 0.8% to total Br2,133 for $1 as of June 3, the information department of the National Bank told BelTA. Meanwhile, the exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble against the Russian ruble shrank by 2.5% to make up Br89.82 for RUB1 on June 3. In January-May the official exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble against the euro shrank by 4.6% to total Br3,312 for ?1 as of June 3. The changes in the...

The prices for the products of the cattle breeding industry will not hike in Belarus, Minister of Agriculture and Foodstuffs of Belarus Semen Shapiro said when answering questions of parliamentarians on May 30. “In recent years the Government has been attaching special attention to this issue,” he added. The prices for poultry and pork are equal to the prices in Belarus’ neighbouring countries and Europe, specialists say. “Milk prices are lower and we are going to raise them by...