MINSK, 15 February (BelTA) – The refinancing rate of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus (NBRB) was reduced from 17% to 16% per annum on 15 February, BelTA learned from the NBRB Information and PR Office. Apart from that, the interest rate on standing and bilateral operations designed to keep up the current liquidity of Belarusian banks was reduced from 22% to 20% per annum. The NBRB representatives explained that the decisions had been taken by the board and the monetary policy...

MINSK, 8 February (BelTA) - Belarus Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Estonia Anatoly Stepus and Estonia Prime Minister Juri Ratas discussed the ways of developing the inter-parliamentary cooperation, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus. “The parties discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic and other areas and considered the ways of advancing the Belarusian-Estonian...

MINSK, 31 January (BelTA) - A regular meeting of the operations center for the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was held in Ostrovets with the participation of Belarus’ Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko and Rosatom Deputy Director General Alexander Lokshin, BelTA learned from the press service of the Energy Ministry. The meeting considered the status of construction of the nuclear power plant, the delivery and receipt of the equipment, the quality of the works, the...

MINSK, 24 January (BelTA) – The Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry and the German Food and Agriculture Ministry have signed a protocol on arranging internships for young Belarusian agribusiness specialists in Germany in 2017. The document was signed when Belarusian First Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Leonid Marinich visited Berlin. The official took part in the 9th Berlin Agriculture Ministers' Conference and the food, agriculture, and gardening industry fair International...

MINSK, 17 January (BelTA) – Belarus and Spain plan to develop cooperation in the area of research and technology. The matter was discussed by Belarus’ Ambassador to France with concurrent accreditation to Spain Pavel Latushko and Spain’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Ignacio Ybanez Rubio in Madrid, BelTA learned from the Belarusian embassy in France. The parties talked over the organization of the Belarusian pavilion at Transfiere expo which is due in Malaga on 15-16...

MINSK, 11 January (BelTA) – The five-day visa-free regime of entry will come into force in Belarus on 12 February 2017, BelTA learned from the Twitter account of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s decree No. 8 “On the introduction of the visa-free entry and departure for foreign citizens” was officially published on the National Legal Internet Portal on 11 January. The citizens of 80 countries will be able to start using its benefits...

MINSK, 5 January (BelTA) – A group of Belarusian children visited Moscow during the winter school holidays. The tour was arranged by the Belarusian Embassy in Russia. The group comprised 44 school students from the village of Perezhir and kids from families with many children, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia. The three-day tour started with a visit to the embassy and a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Russia...

MINSK, 27 December (BelTA) – Belarus is ending the complicated year of 2016 rather well, BelTA learned from First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vasily Matyushevsky after the government conference held by the Belarus president on 26 December to discuss external funding. Participants of the government conference discussed some results of the national economy’s performance in 2016, including the state of the gold and foreign exchange reserves, the investment climate, the country’s...

MINSK, 21 December (BelTA) – Belarus views Georgia as one of its friends and hopes for further advancement of bilateral cooperation, Belarus Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said after the meeting with his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Janelidze on 20 December, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vladimir Makei named the meeting a logic continuation of the contacts that the two countries have already established at the high and...

MINSK, 12 December (BelTA) – A high-level economic delegation of Belarus paid a visit to Washington D.C. on 6-10 December on the invitation of the U.S. Department of State, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The delegation comprised Deputy Head of the Belarus President’s Administration Nikolai Snopkov, Belarus President’s Aide Vsevolod Yanchevsky, representatives of the National Bank, the Finance Ministry, the Economy Ministry and other ministries and...