VITEBSK, 13 December (BelTA) - Belarus provides a strong social support for vulnerable categories of the population including refugees, Sholeh Safavi, UNHCR Representative in Belarus, told reporters. Ms Sholeh Safavi is attending a roundtable “Integration of Refugees in the Republic of Belarus: Employment and Social Security”. “Belarusian refugee laws meet international norms as well as the level of social and economic development in the country,” she said. Refugees have access, on...

MINSK, 13 December (BelTA) – More foreigners with refugee status prefer to stay in Belarus. Belarus turns from transit country into a country of residence, Chief Expert of the refugees and asylum office of the Citizenship and Migration Department of Belarus’ Interior Ministry Natalia Sokolovskaya told the round-table conference, Refugees Integration in the Republic of Belarus: Employment and Social Protection, on 13 December. While in 2005, 300 out of 700 persons with refugee status...

MINSK, 13 December (BelTA) – The Belarusian parliament is ready to discuss the entire range of mutual interest topics with the USA, said Sergei Maskevich, Chairman of the International Affairs and CIS Relations Commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, as he met with representatives of the top USA analytical centers on 13 December. According to the MP, the fact-finding visit of the USA representatives testifies to the USA interest in processes, which...

MINSK, 13 December (BelTA) – Early voting at the presidential election in Belarus will start on 14 December, BelTA learnt from the Central Election Commission (CEC). Over 6,000 polling stations will be open in Belarus and outside the country. They will stay open from 10h00 to 19h00 with a break from 14h00 to 16h00. Everyone who is unable to come to the polls on 19 December will have an opportunity to cast their votes in support of one of ten candidates on one of these days from 14 December...

MOSCOW, 10 December (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed speculations about the alleged deterioration of relations with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The Belarusian head of state made this statement following the CSTO summit in Moscow on 10 December, BelTA has learnt. “There was no quarrel between Medvedev and me”, Alexander Lukashenko said. “When still in Minsk I said that ill-wishers hope in vain. Just as fast our relations went bad, the same way they...

VITEBSK, 9 December (BelTA) – Belarus and Israel are considering abolishment of visa requirements, BelTA learned from First Secretary of the Embassy of the State of Israel to Belarus Gennady Polishchuk. He takes part in the Day of Israel in Vitebsk held by the Embassy of Israel. “We believe that in the near future this problem will be solved,” Gennady Polishchuk said. In November 2008 the opportunity for visa-free travel was discussed at the consular negotiations between Belarus and...