Events

Belarus government authorized to negotiate oil deliveries from Kazakhstan
Belarus continues working to diversify oil purchases. Various geographical directions for importing hydrocarbon resources and various logistics options are under consideration...

Belarus, Poland discuss ways to strengthen regional cooperation
“Anatoly Isachenko talked over cooperation at the regional level with Podlasie Province Governor Bohdan Paszkowski and Podlasie Province Marshal Artur Kosicki. The parties also discussed the development of cross-border cooperation between the two countries”...

Belarus, Norway working on visa facilitation
"Keeping in mind the recent signing of the visa facilitation and readmission agreements between Belarus and the European Union, an agreement has been reached to promptly prepare the appropriate documents for signing between Belarus and Norway"...

Belarus to provide help to China due to new virus outbreak
The aid will comprise medications, individual protective gear (face masks, overalls and gloves), decontaminating equipment and other medical products...

Belarus, Poland discuss inter-parliamentary cooperation
Anatoly Isachenko met with Deputy Marshal of the Senate of Poland Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka and Deputy Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Ryszard Terlecki to discuss the ways to intensify dialogue between the two countries in various areas. The parties also focused on the activity of the Belarusian-Polish inter-parliamentary group...

Belarus’ new development program to use solutions of WB roadmap
"Our roadmap has not been finalized during your term in office. Nevertheless, I promise that the work we have done together with experts will not be wasted. We will certainly use the results of the work while elaborating Belarus’ development program for the period till 2025 in all the areas"...

Belarus-UK post-Brexit cooperation discussed in London
The sides exchanged views on a number of specific projects in manufacturing, green technology, environmentally friendly public and commercial transport, financial sector, information technology and a number of other areas...

Access to EAEU electricity market to benefit Belarus once nuclear power plant goes online
"It will allow streamlining trade in electricity on domestic wholesale markets of the Eurasian Economic Union member states in addition to enabling transit to third countries. The matter is extremely important for Belarus at the macroeconomic level and particularly in light of the launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant"...

Belarus president talks about reasons behind problems with buying energy from Russia
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “The disagreement and the conflict with Russia have been caused by their demand that we should buy oil at prices higher than the world one”...

Belarus, UK seek to deepen ties
The United Kingdom is among most important trade and economic partners of Belarus. Great Britain ranks second in terms of foreign direct investment in the Belarusian economy. Belarus is home to 211 companies with British capital...

Minsk gearing up for Pompeo’s visit
A reminder, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is expected to come to Belarus on 1 February...

EU says will not freeze Schengen visa fees for Belarusians until visa facilitation agreement
“In nine days, on 2 February 2020, the revised EU Visa Code will become applicable, which, among other changes, will increase the visa fee worldwide, including in Belarus. However, such an increase would be temporary only until the Visa Facilitation Agreement enters into force”...

Belarus-UK relations amid Brexit discussed in Minsk
The EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill is about to come into force. The document was approved by the UK parliament on 22 January and awaits the royal assent of Queen Elizabeth II. The UK is set to leave the EU on 31 January...

Lukashenko wants bigger focus on person-oriented research
“While indulging in our contemplations and strategic thinking we should keep in mind that there are things we need to take care of today, as these things will be here in 100 years, even after we are gone”...

U.S. secretary of state to visit Minsk on 1 February
Michael Pompeo was to pay a working visit to Belarus on 4 January 2020, but had to postpone it due to the situation around the U.S. Embassy in Iraq and the events that followed...

Vladimir Gusakov of Belarus to chair CIS Interstate Council for Outer Space
“It is a great honor for me; I will try to do my best in this role. We need to jointly draft a program of the council’s work for 2020. We will try to expand the council this year by inviting other CIS states to join it. After all, other CIS member states show their interest in it”...

Opinion poll: Lukashenko is most popular foreign leader among Russians
According to him, the top spot in the ranking was previously shared by the Belarusian leader and former president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. “Nursultan Nazarbayev is out of the spotlight now. However Aleksandr Lukashenko is still in the limelight”...

Lukashenko appoints new defense minister, Chief of General Staff
Major-General Viktor Khrenin, who led the troops of the Western Operational Command, has been appointed Belarus' Defense Minister. Major-General Aleksandr Volfovich, who previously served as First Deputy Head of the General Staff, has been appointed Chief of the General Staff...

Belarusian foreign minister meets with OSCE’s new representative in contact group on Ukraine
Heidi Grau was in Minsk for this year’s first negotiations on resolving the conflict in Ukraine, which took place on 16 January...

Organizing committee set up for Belarus-Russia Forum of Regions
The organizing committee includes members of the Presidium of the Council of the Republic, heads of ministries and government agencies, oblast executive committees and the Minsk City Council, rectors of higher learning institutions, representatives of the business community and heads of regional councils of deputies...