On November 12 President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko met with Piotr Prokopovich, chairman of the board of directors of the National Bank of Belarus, to receive his report. During the meeting the President urged to find possibilities of boosting housing construction to outperform the target of the five-year period. In the near future the proposals on how to boost the capacities of construction organizations will be submitted for consideration of the President, BelTA learnt in the...

Belarus is one of the most rapidly developing CIS states, occupying 57th position in UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Index (TDI). UNCTAD experts singled out the high indicators of economic and social welfare of individuals and the registered growth of foreign trade. The indicators landed Belarus on the 34th position ahead of all the CIS states and several countries in Central Eastern Europe. The facts are presented by UNCTAD’s publication “Developing Countries in International Trade...

The first launch of a Euro-4-compliant automobile engine D-249 will take place at Minsk Engine Plant on November 9, BelTA learnt from OOO Business Relations Agency. The engine’s capacity stands at 190 horse powers, its volume — 4.75 litres. Minsk Engine Plant is the first post-Soviet maker of such engines. The new model was designed from scratch instead of modernising an existing engine. The product is meant for large-batch shipping to MAZ and other domestic and foreign mechanical...

The Moscow government has opened its representative office in Minsk. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has appointed Vladimir Plaksin chief of the representative office, BelTA learnt from the committee for interregional links and national policy of the Moscow government. Earlier Vladimir Plaksin held the post of deputy chairman of the aforementioned committee. The representative office is expected to promote trade-economic, sci-tech and cultural-humanitarian relations between Belarus and Moscow and...

In January-September 2007, Belarus’ inflation was one of the lowest inflations in the Commonwealth of Independent States, said the CIS Statistics Committee. In January-September 2007, Armenia boasted the lowest inflation among the CIS states — 0.2%. Inflation in Belarus totalled 5.4%. Belarus is followed by Georgia (6.2%), Russia (7.5%), Kazakhstan and Ukraine (8.6%), Moldova (9%), Kyrgyzstan (10.3%) and Azerbaijan (11%). Tajikistan had the highest inflation among the CIS states in...

Belarus will continue all-round cooperation with China, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stated at the meeting with Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China Wen Jiabao on November 5. The head of state stressed: “We are proud of our relations with China who shows stunning successes in all areas”. Alexander Lukashenko noted that Belarus established cooperation with China during the period when the country was “rising from its knees”. “I believe that for the 15...

A servicing center for Belarusian machinery will be set up in the Krasnoyarsk Krai of the Russian Federation, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky noted when summing up the results of his meeting with Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Krai Alexander Khloponin. According to Sergei Sidorsky, as the industry and agriculture has been actively developing in the region so there is a need of Belarusian machinery. “We have discussed cooperation, - the Prime Minister highlighted. – We have...

Following an invitation of the South Korean government, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky will go to the Republic of Korea on an official visit on November 5-6, 2007, BelTA learnt from the Council of Ministers Office. The Belarusian delegation is expected to include heads of several ministries and agencies, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, representatives of Belarusian banking and business circles. While in South Korea, Sergei Sidorsky is expected to meet with South...

Science should play the leading role in the innovation development of Belarus and in stimulating investment projects, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko told the First Congress of Belarus’ Scientists on November 2. According to the head of state, last year the Third All-Belarusian People’s Congress adopted quite an ambitious programme for the social and economic development of the country in 2006-2010 with a view to further improving living standards of the people. “The...

In November 2007, Belarus’ National Bank will not reduce the refinancing rate, Chairman of the Board of the National Bank Piotr Prokopovich told reporters on November 1. According to him, a possibility of cutting the refinancing rate in December will be considered by the Presidium of the Council of Ministers of Belarus and the National Bank’s Board of Directors. “Everything will depend on the economic situation,” said Piotr Prokopovich. Since October 1, 2007 the refinancing rate...