Belarus and Cuba signed an intergovernmental agreement on the supplies of 100 MAZ buses in Minsk on February 27. The document stipulates the terms of a Belarusbank loan to Cuba to finance the delivery. Cuba will produce necessary guarantees for the loan repayment. Cuba is one of the priorities of the Belarusian foreign policy on the Latin-American continent, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said at a meeting with Minister of Government of Cuba Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz. “Good...

Belarus is not going to drastically change its foreign policy, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said as he made several personnel appointments on February 26. The press service of the head of state quoted him as saying, Belarus’ policy has had and will have multiple vectors. “There are no and cannot be any cardinal changes,” said the head of state. “More and more people have been claiming lately that Belarus is radically changing its foreign policy, doing someone’s...

It’s necessary to intensify the development of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsECas much as possible, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said when meeting with EurAsEC Secretary General Tair Mansurov. “The current rate of the EurAsEC development does not correlate with the goals we have set forth before the organisation,” the President said. “Our position on the Eurasian integration is well-known,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “The formation of the Customs Union as a...

According to spokesman for the Russian embassy to Belarus Alexander Frolov, the ballot boxes have already arrived from Moscow – stationary and mobile. The latter will be used for off-site voting in cases when Russian citizens, willing to take part in the elections, will not be able to show up at polling stations. Voting bulletins (50 thousand pieces) and electioneering literature have arrive as well. The election commissions include the employees of the Russian embassy to Belarus and...

Belarus will join the Eurasian Bank of Development, EurAsEC Secretary General Tair Mansurov told reporters on February 26. “This bank is called Eurasian for a reason: the very name of it presupposes that it should work for the benefit of all the six EurAsEC member states”, he noted. According to Tair Mansurov, the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has already given the instructions on Belarus’ entry to the bank. “All the coordination procedures have been completed and...

Belarus to finance sole traders in small and medium town settlements whose activity is trended to produce export-oriented and import-substituting products, develop road service and agro-ecotourism. These and other measures have been included into a list of events for 2008 to fulfill the state comprehensive programme on the development of regions, small and medium town settlements for 2007-2010, BelTA was told in the Council of Ministers’ Office. The events have been approved by Resolution...

The situation in the banking and financial systems of Belarus is stable. The national currency is getting stronger. All goals outlined by the 2008 Major Monetary Management Guidelines are being reached. The information was presented by Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus (NBRB) Piotr Prokopovich in his report to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on February 25, the press service of the President of Belarus told BelTA. Alexander Lukashenko was...

Attending the CIS informal summit in Moscow are the presidents of 12 states-members of the Commonwealth of Independent States. No documents are expected to be signed. The CIS leaders are set to exchange opinions on urgent issues of the cooperation development within the CIS. The presidents are likely to tough upon the situation around Kosovo. Candidate for the Russian presidency Dmitry Medvedev is expected to be introduced to the participants oft eh summit. The venue is the Gold Hall of the...

In 2007, residents of the Belarusian free economic zones (FEZ) produced products and services at the amount of Br3, 719 trillion, or 21.1% up as against 2006, BelTA learnt in the Ministry of Statistics and Analysis of Belarus. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Analysis, the profitability of sold goods stood at 12.9% in the period under review. The total revenues of FEZ residents soared by 16.9% as against 2006, the tax payments grew by 9.8%. Along with that the share of loss...

Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky instructed the Medplast company and the Belneftekhim concern to develop the exports of syringes in the near future. Sergei Sidorsky, who is in Gomel on a working trip, attended the ceremony to unveil the two 10ml and 20ml syringe production lines at Medplast Company. According to the Head of Government, the new equipment will help meet the demand of the country’s medical establishments in indigenously-made syringes. Today the demand reaches 180...