GOMEL, 5 October (BelTA) – An international scientific practical center of thyroid diseases will be set up in Belarus. The project is part of the joint initiative of the European Commission and UNDP and is aimed at minimizing the Chernobyl consequences in Belarus, BelTA learned from Andrei Pinigin, chief of the international technical aid project. The budget is estimated at ?1.13 million. The UNDP will allocate ?63,000, EC - more than ?1 million. The center will be set up with the...

MINSK, 5 October (BelTA) – Belarus was ranked 68th in the annual UN Human Development Report 2009 published on 5 October and was listed among the high-HDI countries, BelTA informs. Belarus’ human development index equaled 0.826 (to compare: this index was 0.787 in 2000). The countries with HDI over 0.900 are considered as the countries with a very high human development index. Russia ranked 71st (0.817), Kazakhstan – 82nd (0.804), Armenia – 84th (0.798), Ukraine – 85th (0.796),...

MINSK, 2 October (BelTA) – Belarus has completed all procedures necessary for signing the Collective Rapid Response Force Agreement of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko told a press conference for Russian regional mass media. “We have completed all procedures relating to the signing of the document,” the President of Belarus said. He also reminded that Belarus is ready to preside in the CSTO next year as well. “Belarus will...

GRODNO, 1 October (BelTA) – In 2009 Belarus plans to attract Br50 trillion worth of investment, Deputy Economy Minister Vladimir Adashkevich said at the First International Economy Forum in Grodno. Capital investments amounted to Br37.2 trillion last year. Vladimir Adashkevich noted that for the past ten years Belarus’ GDP has doubled, the industrial production increased 2.5 times, capital investments tripled. In view of the crisis the industrial production made up 95.4% in...

MINSK, 30 September (BelTA) – President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy Franco Frattini discussed urgent issues of the Belarusian-Italian relations during a meeting in Minsk on 30 September, BelTA learnt from the presidential press service. According to Franco Frattini, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will visit Belarus in the near future. “We should get prepared for the visit and address all the issues which, probably, exist in our...

BARANOVICHI REGION, 29 September (BelTA) – It is the first time when Belarus and Russia have reached such a high level of practical military cooperation, said Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko on 29 September as the troops that had taken part in the army exercise West 2009 marched past. “We’ve come close to holding such large-scale maneuvers several times but only thanks to Dmitry Medvedev we have managed to hold the maneuvers this year for the first time in the history of...

MINSK, 28 September (BelTA) – Foreign Minister of Belarus Sergei Martynov came out with a proposal to hold the UN General Assembly special debates on developing the interfaith dialogue. The proposal was made at the 64th session of the UN General Assembly, BelTA learnt from the press-service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry. During the ministerial meeting on interfaith dialogue and cooperation for peace, Sergei Martynov called for strengthening the international efforts to develop the...

MINSK, 28 September (BelTA) – In order to create favorable conditions for promoting Belarusian products onto foreign markets using leasing, Belarusian manufacturers are exempted from value-added tax. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed relevant decree No 465 “Some matters concerning the improvement of leasing in Belarus” on 24 September, the press service of the head of state told BelTA. The tax relief will reduce the sum of the loan that a leasing company requires to...

MINSK, 25 September (BelTA) – The state ideology should be built on the foundation of Christian values, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as he met with Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill on 25 September. Alexander Lukashenko thanked the head of the Russian Orthodox Church for fulfilling his promise and coming to Belarus. “It is your Belarus, you can consider the land native,” the President told Patriarch Kirill. “It is part of the huge Orthodox nation. 85% of the...

ORSHA, 23 September (BelTA) – A draft forecast of Belarus’ social and economic development in 2010 will be submitted for consideration of the Belarus President by 1 October, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky told media on 23 September. The Prime Minister is expected to get familiar with the progress of retooling the Orsha flax factory. The draft forecast outlines two scenarios of the national economy development. The balanced basic one expects the GDP growth rate to be at...