DUSHANBE, 28 October (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon have signed a long-term cooperation agreement in trade and economy on 28 October, BelTA has learnt. The heads of state also concluded a Belarus-Tajikistan interstate long-term cooperation program for 2011-2020. Besides, the parties signed an intergovernmental agreement on migrant workers, a cooperation agreement between the Economy Ministry of Belarus and the Economy and Trade...

MINSK, 21 October (BelTA) – Belarus is going to increase pensions by 20% starting from 1 November 2011, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Anatoly Tozik said at a joint session of the two chambers of the National Assembly on 21 October, BelTA has learnt. “We are set to raise pensions considerably from 1 November. They will grow definitely, but I cannot tell you exactly how much, approximately by 20%,” the Vice Premier said. Anatoly Tozik also said that at present the government is...

MINSK, 20 October (BelTA) – No denomination will be carried out in Belarus in 2011, NBRB Chairwoman of the Board Nadezhda Yermakova told the press on 20 October. “We are not considering a denomination this year. The next year we will see how many zeroes we have,” said the official. Asked about what measures the bank will take in the future to combat inflation, Nadezhda Yermakova said there are plans for a set of measures. In her words, the unification of the exchange rates of the...

MINSK, 30 September (BelTA) – Food is acquiring a strategic status. Stability of the state and wellbeing of people depend on its supply and affordability, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said when speaking at the nationwide harvest festival, Dazhynki-2011. “We often say that food security of the state is a cornerstone of its independence. The resent events attest that this is true. Food is acquiring an increasingly strategic status. I want to say it openly: dignity of a nation,...

MINSK, 27 September (BelTA) – The Aarhus regional center will be opened in Belarus, BelTA learned from the press service of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry. The center may be opened in one of three regions – Grodno, Brest or Vitebsk. The new organization will be set up in line with the joint project of the European Union and the UNDP to develop international cooperation in environmental protection in Belarus. The primary objective of the Aarhus regional...

MINSK DISTRICT, 21 September (BelTA) – Solvent demand of agricultural enterprises for machines should be secured, control over the storage and operation of machines should be increased, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko during his working trip around Minsk Oblast on 21 September. The head of state instructed oblast governors to put together an order for modern agricultural machines that the agricultural enterprises need taking into account proprietary financial capabilities...