POSTAVY, 20 July (BelTA) – President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has given one year for Vitebsk Oblast’s agriculture to become profitable. The head of state issued the relevant instruction during a working visit to the region on 20 July, BelTA has learned. “You are wallowing for the last year. Next year you will have to show some profitability,” Alexander Lukashenko told Vitebsk Oblast Governor Alexander Kosinets. The head of state stressed that Vitebsk Oblast should choose the...

MINSK, 19 July (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has reaffirmed Belarus’ commitment to deepening cooperation with Russia and the regions. The Belarusian President made this statement as he met with Amur Oblast Governor of the Russian Federation Oleg Kozhemyako on 19 July, BelTA has learnt. “Many say that Lukashenko is overemotional when it comes to relations. We, the Slavs, are always very emotional, we have never built our relations, I mean between Slavonic states,...

MINSK, 18 July (BelTA) – Foreign investors are invited to develop new mineral deposits in Belarus, including potash ones, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as he met with top executives of the group of companies Boulle Mining on 18 July. Alexander Lukashenko said that taking into account the growing demand for mineral resources, including potash ones, Belarus receives a sufficient number of proposals for extracting the already known deposits and new ones. At present the...

MINSK, 18 July (BelTA) - President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko held a meeting with Prosecutor General Grigory Vasilevich on 18 July, BelTA learnt from the president’s press service. The Prosecutor General reported to the head of state on the performance of law enforcement agencies in H1 2011. Particular attention was paid to crime prevention. Thus, in H1 the crime rate decreased by almost 14% over the same period last year. Grave crimes, robberies, hooliganism reduced significantly....

VITEBSK, 15 July (BelTA) - Raluka from Romania has won the Grand Prix of the 9th International Junior Song Contest Vitebsk 2011 that was held within the framework of the International Arts Festival Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk, BelTA has learnt. Apart from a special prize and a diploma, the winner got $5,000. The first prize ($3,000) and a diploma were presented to Kuralai Meirambek from Kazakhstan. The second prize ($2,000) was shared by Valeria Chuvizova from Latvia and Gentleman from...

VITEBSK, 14 July (BelTA) – Belarus is interested in strengthening cooperation with Russia in the cinema industry, Culture Minister of Belarus Pavel Latushko told reporters after the meeting with Culture Minister of Russia Alexander Avdeyev, BelTA has learned. “We have discussed joint film production. Russia is our main partner in this area. Taking into account the amendments in the Belarusian tax legislation, we now have additional prospects to implement joint cinema projects,” Pavel...