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WEEKLY
DIGEST OF BELARUSIAN NEWS
May
25, 2005
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| NATIONAL
NEWS
Over 1,500 Young Talents Received Special Funding from the Belarusian Government
In 1990-2004, 314 Belarusian schoolchildren took part in international Olympiads, 245 of them won medals including 40 gold, 97 silver and 108 bronze medals. In 2004, 23 students became winners of international Olympiads on mathematics, physics, biology, informatics and Russian language, having exceeded the 2003 result by 2
awards.
Over recent ten years the prizes, scholarships, financial assistance from the fund of the president of Belarus on social support of talented students have been awarded to over 10 thousand people, from the fund on support of talented youth, to over 1.500 young talents, Alexander Lukashenko stated when presenting the certificates to the students–winners of international Olympiads in various subjects, creative competitions and festivals, scholarship holders of the special funds of the president of Belarus on social support of talented pupils and students and talented young people.
According to Alexander Lukashenko, high results and good knowledge were demonstrated by Belarusian schoolchildren at the International Mendeleyev Olympiad. All six competitors won gold, silver and bronze medals.
All in all, over 10 thousand people receive prizes, scholarships, financial assistance from special fund of president of Belarus on social support of talented students
Belarusian MFA Starts to Prepare State Program on Information Support of Foreign Political and Trade Activity for 2006-2010
The Belarusian foreign ministry prepared the state program on information support of foreign political and trade activity of Belarus for 2006-2010.
This program will take note of the track record in implementing similar documents and proposals of the exporting organizations.
“The program will be aimed at creating an absolutely new system of the efficient dissemination of the latest information about Belarus abroad. Among the main goals – forming a positive image of Belarus, providing foreign community with correct information about initiatives of domestic and foreign political character put forward by the head of state, steps for creating a favorable investment climate in the country and the socio-political development of the nation”, Ruslan Esin, Belarusian MFA spokesmen said.
The new state program also envisages publishing modern printed and electronic
products.
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| INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
WTO Workgroup for Belarus’ Accession to Mull New Factual Summary May 24
On May 24 the workgroup for Belarus accession to the World Trade Organization
(WTO) considered in Geneva a new version of the Factual Summary regarding Belarus’ foreign trade and its conformity to WTO
norms.
The Belarusian delegation to Geneva was headed by Deputy Prime Minister Andrei
Kobyakov.
On May 23 Belarusian commitments in agriculture support were considered at a special WTO meeting for
agriculture.
Besides, the Belarusian delegation is to hold talks with the European
Union, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, Cuba, Turkey, Switzerland, India and Panama to define commitments in import customs tariffs and conditions of access to the market of
services.
Speaker Says Belarus Should Size up WTO Accession Consequences
Belarus has to figure out in advance the possible consequences of its accession to the World Trade Organization
(WTO), the speaker of the lower chamber of parliament, the House of
Representatives, Vladimir Konoplyov said.
“We are not against acceding to the WTO, but we have to discuss all issues
first. We must size up the consequences, because the WTO means an impact on our
economy, and we must not lose,” the speaker noted.
According to him, Belarus cannot avoid
globalization, because the largest trade partners, including Russia and
Ukraine, plan to complete their WTO accession talks in 2006.
Belarus Interested in UN Law-Enforcement Mechanism Reformation
Belarus is interested in the reformation of the UN law-enforcement mechanism and the improvement of its
activity. The organization’s activity should be aimed, first of all, at providing people with real
rights. At the same time it is necessary to rule out the use of this theme in serving the political interests of certain
countries.
At the meeting of permanent representative of Belarus in the UN in Geneva Sergei Aleinik and UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Luisa Arbur the sides considered issues on the UN activity’s reformation in the sphere of human rights and also interaction prospects between Belarus and the Office of the High
Commissioner. The sides also exchanged the views on the activity of the UN Commission on Human Rights and its 61st
session.
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BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Foreign Investments in Belarus up by 20.7% to $389.9 Mln
Foreign investments in Belarusian economy rose by 20.7% on the year in the first quarter to $389.882 million, the Statistics Ministry
reported.
Of the total, direct foreign investments amounted to $130 million, a decline of 40.9%, and their share declined to 33.3% from 68.1%.
Revolving investments, loans, financial leasing, short-term rent, amounted to $259.8 million, up by 460% on the year, including trade loans at $34.06 million, up by 37%.
Portfolio investments were at $18,400 in January-March 2005, up from $400 in the same period in 2004.
Russia was the largest investor in the period, with $119.8 million, or 30.7% of the total. Switzerland ranked second with $70.3 million, or 18%; Austria was third with $52.5 million, 13.5%.
Other large investors include the Netherlands with $26.8 million, 6.9%of the total foreign investments, Cyprus with $22.7 million, 5.8%, and Germany with $14.2 million, 3.6%.
Last year the list of major investors included Switzerland, Russia, Great Britain, the U.S. and Germany.
Foreign Trade: the Merchandise Trade Surplus Due to Export Growth to Countries Outside the CIS (by monthly review of GET in Belarus)
The trade between Belarus and Russia now faces the consequences of the new VAT payment regime. Exports to and imports from Russia continue to fall. The rate of export decrease is getting close to zero while imports from Russia began to decrease faster. This probably indicates that exporters have managed to overcome the problems with the VAT payments while importers still have to reduce their deliveries from Russia. At the same time the growth rate of export to non-CIS countries remains at the level of previous year (about 50% yoy). Imports from these countries began to grow faster. This has already led to a change of the geographical structure of external trade. The share of Russia in trade turnover went down to 47.6% (58.4% in Jan–Feb 2004), while the share of the non-CIS countries increased to 46.8% (it was 37.1% in Jan-Feb 2004).
Increases in world commodities prices had a major impact on the increase in the share of non-CIS countries in the structure of the Belarusian external trade. Primarily due to price increases, exports of oil products grew by 72% yoy, potash fertilizer went up by 50% yoy, and ferrous metals increased by 23% yoy in Jan–Feb. As a result, the export growth rate to non-CIS countries was still higher than the import growth rate. This led to an increase in the trade surplus with these countries. The decrease of imports from Russia also contributed to an increase in the merchandise trade surplus. It amounted to USD 314.8 m in
Jan–Feb. |
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CULTURE AND SOCIETY
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| Thirty-Seven Countries to Participate in Slavic Bazaar in Vitebsk in 2005
The festival Slavic Bazaar in Vitebsk is gaining wider international prestige. The number of countries, which are to participate in the festival in 2005, will reach 37. Last year representatives of 27 countries took part in the contest of young
singers.
The concert program this year will be broadcast from Vitebsk not only by television and radio companies of Belarus and Russia but also by television companies of several European
states.
The Belarusian and Russian sides, within the framework of the Union State budget, have financed all the works connected with the preparation of the Slavic Bazaar in Vitebsk.
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