Alexander Lukashenko is convinced, his trump card at the forthcoming presidential elections will the absence of fear that he might lose. “I honestly served my nation and in this my power is,” he told Rossiyskaya Gazeta in an interview today. The head of state noted, during his presidency he had seen nothing but work. “From my personal point of view, I should have quitted in my time like a sportsman. But on the other hand, the elite would understand at once and the nation would feel...

As from January 1, 2006 the procedure used to handle citizens’ appeals to the authorities will change, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko told today’s sitting dedicated to the progress in fulfilling the president’s orders to de-bureaucratise state institutions. “The present talk is very important and topical, as it concerns every person and the society as a whole. It is the problem of eradicating the bureaucracy in the state institutions that people apply to”, noted the head...

A group of workers of the production association Gomselmash has been officially thanked by the president of the Republic of Belarus for achieving production goals and mastering production of competitive agricultural machines. The group is composed of Raisa Andranchuk, Alexander Vodchits, Nikolai Gribanov, Mikhail Davydov. Head of state Alexander Lukashenko signed a corresponding ordinance December 21, BelTA was informed in the presidential press service.

At its closing session today, the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus adopted the draft law “On the budget of the Republic of Belarus for 2006”. Presenting the draft law, chairman of the permanent commission for economy, budget and finances Stepan Pisarevich said, the parameters of the budget allow for rapid economic growth, improvement of people’s welfare and social security. According to him, the budget revenues in 2006 will jump 26 per cent against 2005 to...

Next year Russia will supply Belarus with 21 billion cubic meters at the price of USD46,68 per 1 thousand cubic meters. The prime ministers of Belarus and Russia have reached such an agreement in the course of the bilateral talks and the sitting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State in Moscow December 19, head of Belarusian government Sergei Sidorskiy told a news briefing. According to him, Gazprom and Beltransgaz have been given relevant orders to prepare necessary documents....

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has arrived in Sochi. The head of state is in the Russian Federation on a short working visit at the invitation of president of Russia Vladimir Putin. The presidents are expected to discuss the issues of trade-economic cooperation, creating equal conditions for economic entities of the two countries, cooperation in international organizations, the UnionSstate formation, including the draft Constitutional Act of the Union State. As the president’s...

Cooperation between Belarus and Kaliningrad oblast is mutually beneficial, president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stated at today’s meeting with governor of the Russian region Georgiy Boos. Alexander Lukashenko is convinced that the re-orientation of a part of Belarusian cargoes to Kaliningrad direction “would double welfare of Kaliningrad residents”. The head of state noted that the Belarusian side also showed interest in it. Belarus and Kaliningrad oblast have always kept tight...

The UN General Assembly adopted the Belarusian resolution on prohibition of development and production of new weapons of mass destruction. The resolution was supported by 180 UN members. The United States of America voted against the document. The delegation of Israel abstained from voting. The press-service of the Belarusian foreign ministry told BelTA that Belarus submitted the draft resolution to the UN General Assembly on behalf of 14 co-authors. “The document decrees to leave the...

The draft law “On the budget of the Republic of Belarus in 2006” is socially oriented like the one in 2005 and intends to develop and ensure social guarantees of people, BelTA has been told in the president’s press service. According to the bill, in 2006 the budget expenditures will amount to Br26,64 trillion, revenues – Br25,51 trillion, or 24.2 per cent and 26.4 per cent more from this year. With regard to GDP expenditures will increase by 1.41 per cent (from 34.58 per cent to 36...

The president of Belarus has signed several decrees on conferring state awards, BelTA was told in the president’s press office. Assistant professor of the chair on instrument designing and production of Belarusian National Technical University Vladimir Minchenia was presented Frantsysk Skorina medal in recognition of his high professionalism and his fruitful scientific-pedagogical activity in training skilled engineer personnel. Head of the chair on glass and ceramics technology of...