MINSK, 23 December (BelTA) – Following recommendations of international organizations Belarus has done a lot to improve its election laws and law enforcement procedures, said Andrei Savinykh, Head of the Information Office, Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, on 23 December. The changes were aimed to make the election process transparent and to enable equal conditions for presidential candidates. The changes were also supposed to expand opportunities for carrying...

MINSK, 23 December (BelTA) – The trade turnover between Belarus and Russia is set to total about $27.5 billion in 2010, Ambassador of Russia to Belarus Alexander Surikov told reporters on 23 December. In his words, after the 2009 crisis, the two countries have managed to improve their bilateral trade indexes. At the same time, the diplomat said that the sides still have a considerable way to go in 2011 to bring the bilateral trade onto the level of 2008. Surikov noted that joint companies...

MINSK, 20 December (BelTA) – The unsanctioned protest of opposition in Minsk reminds of the early Dark Ages times, Director of the Vitebsk branch of the International Institute of Labor and Social Relations, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Veniamin Kosmach told BelTA. In his words, the goal of any political party is to assume power. But the race for power should be legal. “Indeed, the pre-election campaign was democratic, although certain candidates voiced aggressive statements,...

MINSK, 20 December (BelTA) - President Alexander Lukashenko won the presidential election of Belarus with 79.67% of the vote. According to the preliminary voting results, 5,122,000 voters supported the incumbent head of state, chairperson of the Central Election Commission Lidia Yermoshina told reporters in the CEC Information Center. Grigory Kostusev gained 1.97% of the vote, Alexei Mikhalevich – 1.02%, Vladimir Neklyaev – 1.77%, Yaroslav Romanchuk – 1.97%, Vitaly Rymashevsky –...

MINSK, 19 December (BelTA) – Over 65% of Belarusians have come to the polls by 2pm, BelTA learnt from the Central Election Commission of Belarus. 65.2% of Belarusians (4.625 million people) took part in the election as of 2pm. In Brest Oblast 64.8% of Belarusians cast their votes, in Vitebsk Oblast 71.8%, in Gomel Oblast 70.2%, in Grodno Oblast 62.7%, in Minsk Oblast 68.7%, in Mogilev Oblast 68.8%, in the city of Minsk 53.4%. Some 55.3% of Belarusians living abroad have also cast their...

MIR, 16 December (BelTA) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says he is not worried by the reports about the attempts on his life. The president made this statement when answering the questions of journalists. When addressing a question to the head of state, reporters noted that a few months ago there was a video on the Internet featuring an officer of Russia’s special services, who spoke about possible physical elimination of the President of Belarus. Recently one of the...