MINSK, 27 April (BelTA) – The throughput capacity of the checkpoint Grigorovshchina at the Belarusian-Latvian border will be doubled by 2014, Alexander Adereiko, Head of the Legal Office of the State Customs Committee of Belarus, said at the meeting of representatives of customs services of Belarus and Latvia on 27 April. At the orientation meeting the sides discussed the project to build and equip the border checkpoint with non-intrusive examination tools. The European Union has allocated...

MINSK, 27 April (BelTA) – Retirement pensions will be raised by 18.2% on the average in Belarus in May. Minimal retirement pensions, social pensions, bonuses, additional payments for pensions of non-working pensioners aged 75 and over will be raised, Belarusian Labor and Social Protection Minister Marianna Shchetkina told BelTA. In line with Belarus president decree No. 35 of 16 January 2012 pensions will be recalculated starting 1 May 2012 taking into account the average salary in Q1...

BYKHOV DISTRICT, 26 April (BelTA) – Salaries will be raised in Belarus to match the growth of labor productivity, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko while talking to workers of the Bykhov Canned Vegetables Factory on 26 April. “If you turn out more products, you will sell more products, you will get more money and hence higher salaries. Nobody is going to give the money one hasn’t earned to anyone. We will not print money to pay salaries either,” said Alexander...

GLUBOKOYE, 18 April (BelTA) – Belarus should be respected just like it respects sovereign interests of other states, said Vladimir Andreichenko, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, as he met with workers of the open joint-stock company Glubokskiy molochnokonservny combinat (Glubokoye tinned milk factory). Vladimir Andreichenko said sanctions against Belarus had been caused by its independent domestic and foreign policy. The European Union demands...

GLUBOKOYE, 18 April (BelTA) – Belarus has taken into consideration the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations and has created an environment conducive to a free election, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko told BelTA. Commenting on the calls of some opposition activists to boycott the forthcoming parliamentary election, Vladimir Andreichenko stated that “the election should be held in compliance with the Constitution and it will be;...

MINSK, 10 April (BelTA) – Belarus has always counted on active support and aid of the Catholic church, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as he met with Claudio Gugerotti, Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus, on 10 April. The press service of the Belarusian leader quoted Alexander Lukashenko as saying: “Since you are going to the Holy See, I would like you to deliver the warmest and kindest words, congratulations [on the Holy Easter holiday] to Pope Benedict XVI. I have warm...