supplement to the digest“green belarus”...
TRANSCRIPT
Green Belarus News & Events in Belarus
http://ecoinfo.bas-net.by/ecology-belarus/ecology_news_in_Belarus.html
№ 3 (3), October, 2013 MINSK, BELARUS
THIS ISSUE: UNDP launches new project on Belarus' peatland
conservation ............................................................ 1
Belarus interested in EU’s experience of adapting to climate change .................................................. 1
Belarus plans to develop additional measures to
adapt to climate change ..................................... 1
Paperless technology to save up to $1.2bn per
annum in Belarus .................................................... 2
Belorusneft, British Toros to prospect for shale oil,
gas in Belarus .......................................................... 2
Belarus, UNIDO ink framework cooperation pro-
gram in Vienna ....................................................... 2
Agreement on UN FAO technical aid to Belarus
ratified ...................................................................... 2
Belarus gets €5m grant for modernization of wastewater treatment plants ............................... 2
CIS to take stock of interstate programs on stand-
ardization in energy efficiency ............................ 2
Expert: No GMOs in Belarusian stores .................. 3
Russia’s Academic University offers training in nanotechnologies to Belarus……………………...3
Belarusian space program to develop remote
sensing technologies ............................................. 3
Local level training workshop on strategic environ-
mental assessment (SEA) in Belarus ..................... 3
The Forum of Environmental Organizations of
Belarus hosted October 18-20 in Minsk .............. 3
Japan committed to cooperation in nuclear
security with Belarus ............................................... 3
Belarus, Poland to run eco-project in Belovezh-
skaya Pushcha ....................................................... 4
Belarus, Hungary share experience in sustainable
use of water resources ......................................... 4
Belarus, Armenia discuss prospects of aquatic
system research center ......................................... 4
Belarus, New Zealand to cooperate in Antarctic
Region...................................................................... 4
Minsk to host IEC General Assembly in 2015 ...... 4
Belarusian legislation on alternative energy needs
improving…………………………………...4
Grodno Oblast mulls over solar panel manufactur-
ing............................................................................. 5
Air and soil samples takennear Belarus’ NPP ..... 5
Belarusian energy system development program
revised ..................................................................... 5
Belarus treasures cooperation with IAEA ............ 5
Global nuclear station construction forecasts
back to pre-Fukushima level ................................ 5
Birth rate in Belarus the same as in Europe ......... 6
Belarus population at 9.465m as of 1 October .. 6
October 2013 Top News ........................................ 6
http://citydog.by/post/fotoreport-botsad/
A new project “Clima East: Conservation and Sustainable Management of Peatlands in Belarus for Re-duction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Adaption of
Peatland Ecosystems to Climate Change” will be imple-mented in Belarus, BelTA learnt from UNDP representa-
tive Olga Chabrovskaya. The project will be implemented on Belarus’ two big-
gest low-ground peatlands – Zvanets and Sporovskoye. The cost
of the four-year project financed by the EU will amount to €1.49
million. The performing organization is the United Nations Devel-opment Program. The national contractor is the Ministry of Natu-
ral Resources and Environment of Belarus. The project will be
supported by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus,
national reserves Zvanets and Sporovsky, local authorities of Drogichin and Bezera Districts. “The project is currently under-going registration in Belarus,” Olga Chabrovskaya added.
In her words, with
a view of preserving peat-
lands and restoring biodi-versity a new approach to
the conservation of peat-
lands will be tested in
Belarus during the imple-mentation of the project. It
involves collection, pro-
cessing and use of biomass.
Besides, a number of events is planned for the restoration of the hydrological regime of peatlands.
“There are plans to purchase equipment for stocking and processing biomass. In order to deliver the equipment to the
contractor of the project there is a need to build passages across
reclamation canals,” Olga Chabrovskaya noted. Water regulating facilities will be upgraded and new ones will be built to restore
the hydrological regime of peatlands.
About 3,500 hectares of peatlands will be cleared up
from bushes, trees and reed during the project to stock up to 2,500 tonnes of biomass. “The move will help reduce green-house gas emissions,” Olga Chabrovskaya stressed.
belta.by, 14.10.2013
UNDP LAUNCHES NEW PROJECT ON BELARUS'
PEATLAND CONSERVATION
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE DIGEST“GREEN BELARUS”
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTER
"ECO-INFO"
CENTRAL SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY NAS BELARUS
Belarus needs to develop additional measures to
adapt to the climate change, First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources of Belarus Vitaly Kulik said at the sem-
inar of the European Union’s regional project Clima East,
BelTA has learned.
“Global assessment of long-term meteorological obser-vations and the latest research show that there is a strong link
between the climate change and the negative processes on the
plant such as an increased frequency of natural calamities,” Vitaly Kuli said.
According to the available data, in Belarus the climate
warming has resulted in significant changes, especially in the
southern regions. This is reflected in the increase in the number
of extreme high and low temperatures, precipitations, forest fires and other negative phenomena.
This situation has a negative impact on the economy of
the country and on human health. Therefore, in order to achieve
economic and environmental sustainability Belarus needs to
continue a meaningful policy and to develop additional measures to adapt to the climate change. In addition, low-carbon develop-
ment strategy should be improved, Vitaly Kulik stressed. belta.by,
10.10.2013
Also on:
Kulik: Clima East will contribute to Belarus' environ-mental policy
Belarus interested in EU’s experience of adapting to
climate change Belarus needs its own document similar to the
European Union strategy known as "20-20-20", Igor Rogozin, the head of the hydro-meteorological depart-
ment of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environ-
ment Protection of Belarus, said at the Clima East
presentation seminar in Minsk on 10-11 October, BelTA learned.
The EU strategy "20-20-20" suggests achieving
significant improvements in the area of sustainable energy by
2020: reducing carbon emissions by 20%, increasing the share of alternative energy up to 20% and increasing energy
efficiency by 20%. “Such a program is needed in Belarus and we hope that with the help of the Clima East project we will be
able to carry out the research and make proposals,” said Igor Rogozin.
According to him, the strategy for Belarus could be
"20-20-10". By 2020 Belarus could increase the share of
alternative energy by 20%, reduce carbon dioxide emissions
by 20% and increase energy efficiency by 10%. “These pa-rameters can be different. Yet they should be scientifically
justified and economically viable and aimed at promoting
green technologies in the real production sector,” added Igor Rogozin.
To adjust agriculture, forestry and wetlands to the
climate change is equally important for Belarus. “We know that in April 2013 the European Union adopted a directive
concerning the adaptation to the climate change. Our country also needs the document of such a level, and without the
assistance of EU experts it would be difficult for us to develop
such an instrument,” Igor Rogozin noted. The EU directive on trade in quotas for greenhouse
gases emissions is very interesting for Belarus as well. But the country is still at the initial stage of selecting the tools for
regulating greenhouse gas emissions debating between fiscal,
market or regulatory methods. First, it is necessary to define
the top 100 large enterprises with worst greenhouse gas emissions, to identify the emission reduction potential at
these enterprises and study the costs of such cuts. And here
Belarus will not do without the help of Clima East as well,
according to the Ministry. Belarus needs to improve the normative-legal and
normative-technical acts on the climate observations, interna-
tional exchange of information, climate support and mainte-
nance of the government bodies concerned, organizations and population of the country on the principles and approaches
developed by the European Union. “Some work has already been done in Belarus, but we would like to get acquainted
with the European experience in this area, and approach
closer to the instruments that operate at the technical level in the EU,” Igor Rogozin said.
Belarus has made great strides in formulating the
state policy in the field of climate change. The country had
acceded to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, has consistently and
systematically taken steps towards the implementation of
international obligations in this area. Belarus regularly imple-
ments national programs of measures to mitigate the impact of the climate change. Measures for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions are laid down in relevant industry economic pro-
grams. However, closer international cooperation in the field
of reducing the impact of the climate change would help
Belarus to go through those stages that other countries al-ready passed much faster.
The environmental project of the European Union
"Clima East. Support of the efforts to mitigate and adapt to
climate change in the countries of the region of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) and Russia” is running in Belarus in 2013-2016.
belta.by, 10.10.2013
Belarus plans to develop additional measures to adapt
to climate change
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GREEN BELARUS
NEWS & EVENTS
P. 2 NEWS & EVENTS IN BELARUS
The introduction of paperless technologies in Belarus will allow companies to save up to $1.2 billion per annum. The prospects were outlined by Director of the company OOO Modern Trade Technologies Sergei Tumel at the press conference held on 4 October to highlight corporate digital workflow prospects in Belarus with regard to transport, logistics, and trade, BelTA has learned.
The executive said: “If you think about our Belarusian reality, in the future paperless technologies will allow companies to save from $0.5 billion to $1.2 billion per annum by pro-cessing the existing volume of invoices and consignment notes or a total of about 240 million documents”.
Sergei Tumel pointed out that his company offers the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technology as the solution of choice on the Belarusian market. The EDI technology has been tested in real conditions. Belarusian developers have used the technology to create the EDI system TOPBY. The company is the first EDI solutions provider in Belarus
Sergei Tumel said such technologies went into use in developed economies quite a long time ago. Their key advantage is the ability to save money, which is manifested in many ways. For instance, the technology can reduce the money spent on one transaction. According to European statistics, the costs involved in processing one hardcopy invoice make about €5 while a paperless technology can reduce the cost to €0.5. The new technology can also reduce tied expenses that make from 2% to 15% of the cost of a product.
The head of the company pointed out that EDI technology capabilities will be present-ed in more detail at the international conference and expo IT2TLT that will showcase digital services and information systems for transport and logistics. The event will take place in Minsk on 10 October for the first time. It will be held as part of the Belarusian Transport Week.
belta.by, 4.10.2013
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BELORUSNEFT, BRITISH TOROS
TO PROSPECT FOR SHALE OIL, GAS IN BELARUS
Paperless technology to save up Paperless technology to save up to $1.2bn per annum in Belarus to $1.2bn per annum in Belarus
The Belarusian industrial group Belorusneft and the British company Toros will set up a joint venture to pro-spect and possibly extract shale oil and shale gas in the Pripyat oil-and-gas bear-ing basin, Belorusneft’s press service told BelTA.
The source underlined the im-portance of the project. If successful at ex-tracting the Belarusian company’s first shale oil and gas, the project will help determine prospects of shale oil and shale gas extraction in the country as a whole more precisely.
BelTA has been told that the Belarusian-British joint venture will be set up by March 2014: time is needed to register the enterprise and get a license for the land.
The joint venture may be set up on the basis of parity principle, with partners sharing costs and revenues. Belorusneft and Toros are expected to finance the cost of 3D seismic exploration together. The sides discussed details of the deal and terms of cooperation during a recent visit of Toros representatives to Belo-rusneft.
The partners plan to look for shale oil and shale gas in an area as large as 580km2 between the Zolotukhinskoye oil field and the Ostashkovskoye oil field in Gomel Oblast. Drilling will start after an additional survey is over and the location of the future borehole is determined more precisely. Specialists from Belarus are expected to perform some of the work: they will drill the vertical part of the bore-hole while the British company will perform the horizontal drilling part and hydrau-lic fracturing.
belta.by, 7.10.2013
The House of Representatives have passed a draft bill on ratifica-tion of the agreement between the Government of Belarus and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on technical assistance, BelTA has learnt.
The agreement was signed on 8 May 2013. According to the document, Belarus undertakes certain commitments, including in customs clearance of the equipment under the projects, etc.
According to Agrarian Policy Deputy Chairman of the House of Repre-sentatives Vladislav Tsydik, Belarus will get technical aid of over $650,000 under the agreement. Aid is necessary for utilizing old inefficient chemicals, which were used in agriculture in the Soviet times.
According to Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Lyudmila Nizhevich, legal conditions for receiving technical aid from FAO were non-existent before 2013. The agreement deals with the issue. In her words, Belarus joined FAO in 2005. Among other things the move gave Belarus an access to the international experience in the agricultural sector. Belarus intensified the dialogue with this organization after the Russian language was recognized as one of FAO’s official languages in 2007.
Besides, in her words, the country cooperation program for 2013-2015, which is under development, will provide a continuation to the agreement signed between Belarus and FAO. Besides, it will help strengthening food security. The country is also fulfilling interstate procedures on signing the agreement with FAO on technical aid under the project related to the prevention of the repeated usage of old pesticides. The project is estimated at about €560,000. It can by increased.
belta.by, 13.11.2013
Also on:
$650,000 as technical aid from FAO to Belarus possible
Agreement on UN FAO technical aid to Belarus ratified
BELARUS GETS €5M GRANT FOR MODERNIZATION OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS
A center for international industrial cooperation of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will be opened in Belarus pursuant to the framework cooperation program that Belarus and UNIDO signed in Vienna on 1 Octo-ber, representatives of the Embassy of Belarus in Austria told BelTA.
The framework program is the organizational basis for stepping up UNIDO’s program activities in Belarus and stipulates specific avenues of joint efforts for 2013-2017 taking into account priorities of Belarus’ social and economic development.
The cooperation areas include environment and power engineering, including resource-effective and clean manufacturing, management of water resources, renewa-ble sources of energy and energy effectiveness, technology training, innovations and develop-ment, encouragement of investments and transfer of technologies, development and cooperation of small and medium enterprises, the enhancement of the quality infrastructure, and the en-hancement of agricultural food industry, and the automobile industry.
The concretization of UNIDO’s international technical aid projects within the framework of the outlined priorities is an important practical part of the program. In particular, Belarus will take part in the project EaP-GREEN (Greening Economies in the Eastern Neighborhood), which budget stands at €12.5 million with UNIDO’s financial contribution at €0.5 million.
UNIDO is also expected to assist the work to create a national system for technology foresight in Belarus with the total budget of $653,000, with the Belarusian side intending to contribute slightly over $200,000.
Apart from that, the National Center for Technology Transfer and the Belarusian insti-tute for systemic analysis and information support for the scientific and technical spheres will be used to create a center for international industrial cooperation of UNIDO in Belarus. The center will focus on supporting efforts of the government to enhance the competitive ability of produc-tion sector enterprises by providing them with technical aid.
Compiling a further list of technical cooperation projects and determining potential sources of funding considering donors and partner organizations of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization will be a task for the near future.
belta.by, 1.10.2013
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Belarus, UNIDO ink framework cooperation program in Vienna
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Belarus has received a €5 million grant from the Northern Dimension Environ-mental Partnership (NDEP) for the modernization of its wastewater treatment facili-ties, Sergei Zavyalov, head of the department for regulation of harmful impacts on the atmosphere and water resources under the Ministry for Natural Resources and Envi-ronment, said at the final seminar of the project, BelTA has learnt.
The grant was allocated as part of the international technical assistance initiative, Assessing the level of pollution of the region by biogenic sentences and outlining priority invest-ment projects to decrease the influx of biogenic substances coming from Belarus to the Baltic Sea, organized by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO). Belarus fulfilled its obligations, i.e. joining the organization and making a €1 million contribution. The aim of the project is to reduce biogenic burden and minimize the impact of the agricultural industry on sea waters in order to improve the quality of water in the Baltic Sea.
According to Sergei Zavyalov, the funds will be used to upgrade water treatment facilities in Grodno, Brest, Vitebsk, Baranovichi, Slonim.
There have been recently developed a number of investment projects in Belarus aimed at the improvement of the sewage treatment systems in big cities, including Baranovichi, Brest, Grodno, Slonim, Vitebsk. Apart from that, investment projects have been worked out for Grod-no, Vitebsk and Molodechno to develop phosphorous removal systems.
According to Sergei Zavyalov, resources for the implementation of these projects will be attracted from big financial organizations such as the Nordic Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank and others.
Scientists estimate that the projects will help ease the biogene burden on the water resources of Belarus (by 22% in what concerns nitrogen biogenes and by 44% in phosphorous of the total burden on the sewage treatment system). The data was got by Belarusian and Finnish scientists during the joint study on Belarus’ impact on the Baltic Sea. According to the monitoring, in 2004-2011 Belarus’ annual biogene impact on the Baltic Sea was estimated at 2,800 tonnes of phosphorous and about 44,000 tonnes of nitrogen. The scientists also have come to a conclusion that water is mainly polluted by the agricultural facilities and the munici-pal infrastructure.
belta.by, 22.10.2013
CIS TO TAKE STOCK OF INTERSTATE PROGRAMS ON STANDARDIZATION
IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY CIS experts will meet in Grodno to discuss the implementation of
the interstate programs on standardization in energy efficiency, BelTA learnt from the press service of the State Committee for Standardization of Belarus.
The meeting of the sci-tech commission on standardization and a working group on information technology of the CIS Interstate Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification will take place in Grodno on 22-24 October.
Partaking in the meetings will be representatives of national bodies for standardization, metrology and certification of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and the Bureau for Standards of the CIS Interstate Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification.
The agenda of the meeting of the sci-tech commission on standardization will include over 25 issues. Key attention will be focused on the progress made in improving the activity of interstate standardization in line with the present-day challenges. “This activity includes such areas as improvement of the interstate standardization structure, the operation of interstate technical committees, develop-ment of interstate standards,” the press service said.
Participants of the meeting will also discuss implementation of interstate programs on standardization in energy efficiency and energy saving, food products. Besides, the meeting will coordinate the list of interstate standards for consideration and approval at the meeting of the heads of the CIS national bodies for standardiza-tion, metrology and certification which is due in Minsk in November 2013. A proposal will be voiced to develop a new interstate program on standardization in information and communication technology for 2015-2020.
The sci-tech commission on standardization will also consider the finalized draft action plan on the implementation of the provisions of the memorandum of cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the CIS Interstate Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification.
The agenda of the meeting of the working group on information technology will comprise about 10 issues concerning the improved information support in stand-ardization, metrology and conformity assessment.
belta.by, 23.10.2013
МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЙ
P. 3
24 - 26 October 2013
Grodno (Belarus)
Three training workshops on SEA will be orga-nized in three border provinces of Belarus. The
workshops aim to enhance understanding of and
strengthen capacity for the implementation of
the Convention on Environmental Impact As-sessment in a Transboundary Context, and in
particular the Convention’s Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment, in Belarus. Objective of the workshops is to improve participants
understanding of the benefits of and possibilities for using SEA as a tool in strategic decision
making and to enable participants to independently utilize SEA in their own work. Also repre-sentatives of provincial authorities from neighbouring States will be invited to follow the train-
ing to improve co-operation e.g. in land-use planning between border provinces.
The workshops are organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental
Protection of the Republic of Belarus, UNEP,UNDP and UNECE in the framework of the Environ-
ment and Security Initiative (EnvSec) project “Managing Environmental Security Risks with EIA and SEA”, and the “Greening economies in the Eastern Neighbourhood” (EaP GREEN) Programme.
Agenda ENG RUS
List of participants ENG
Report Training materials
Handouts for participants, including case work ENG RUS
SEA training manual, power points ENG RUS
www.unece.org, 24.10.2013
Also on:
Grodno to host international conference on environment on 23-25 October
Grodno hosts international conference on energy-saving green technologies
Belarusian energy and ecology forum kicks off in Minsk
NEWS & EVENTS IN BELARUS
The Belarusian space program designed to run in 2013-2017 will contribute to the development of technologies for the remote sensing of the Earth, BelTA learned from Oleg Semenov, Deputy Chief Designer of the Belarusian space system for the remote sensing of the Earth, Chief Engi-neer of the enterprise Geoinformation Systems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
Thanks to the space program a multilayer system for the remote sensing of the Earth will be established in order to constantly develop the technologies that have been worked out using data of the remote sensing system and data sent by the Belarusian satellite, said Oleg Semenov. Various agencies use the data sent by the Belarusian remote sensing satellite. For in-stance, methods have been worked in addition to the hardware and the technology to keep an eye on the state of forests and estimate the
number of trees damaged by unfavorable natural and climatic conditions. The Ame-lioration Institute uses Belarusian satellite data to monitor agricultural lands. For the Emergencies Ministry an experimental software complex has been worked out to detect emergencies at petrochemical industry and gas industry facilities.
Oleg Semenov also said that customers have no complaints about the quality of images made by the Belarusian satellite. Consumers are satisfied, said the Chief Engineer of the enterprise Geoinformation Systems.
The Belarusian space system for the remote sensing of the Earth is now in test operation phase. The system is fully functional and can deliver data sent by the Belarusian satellite BKA and other ones to customers. The system is supposed to go commercial by the end of the year.
belta.by, 29.10.2013
Also on:
Monitoring-SG program to provide qualitatively new information from space
The Forum of Environmental Organizations of Belarus hosted
October 18-20 in Minsk
The highlight of the second
day at the Forum was the report on the
possibilities for consolidation among
Belarusan green movement introduced by Andrei Yahorau, the head of
the Centre for European Transfor-
mation (CET). The report is based on
the results of the research “On potential of cooperation between ecological or-
ganizations in solving common prob-
lems” implemented by the CET. The presentation of the report
evoked hot debate. During the discus-sion it was noted that close cooperation between the structures of the civil society is possible in our country, and International Consortium “EuroBelarus” is a living example. A number of leaders of ecological organizations supported the need for common actions and common projects. Yaroslav Bekish,the member of the Forum Organization Committee and the coordinator of the ecological association “Green network”, stated about the necessity to form an open inner financial source, saying that“we need to bare our teeth in order to be effective.”
CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN TRANSFORMATION, 21.10.2013
d
Belarusian stores do not sell food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), head of the National Biosafety Coordination Center of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) Sergei Dromashko told reporters answering a question of a BelTA journalist.
According to Sergei Dromashko, absolutely all foodstuffs are tested for the so-called transgenic organisms before they are delivered to retail outlets. Therefore, the likelihood that such products will be found on store shelves is close to zero.
“The Belarusian market is protected from products containing GMOs much better than the markets of the majority of other countries,” the expert added. For example, in the EU countries customers are informed about the presence of GMOs by special notes on product labels. These notes are put only if the GMO content is over 0.9%. If the amount of transgenic organisms is below 0.9%, GM labeling is not re-quired. GM products are not labeled at all in the United States, Argentina, and Canada. Belarus has adopted the so-called no-threshold concept. “It means that if at least one genetically modified molecule is found in a tonne of products, the entire batch will be marked with GM labeling,” Sergei Dromashko explained. GM products should be labeled using big red letters. Producers are allowed to put green labels on their products if these products do not contain GMOs.
According to Sergei Dromashko, although GM foods are not banned, they are not sold in Belarusian stores. “This is due to the fact that a very small portion of tested foods – less then 1% - contains GMOs. Secondly, taking into consideration the negative public attitude to transgenic substances, producers do not deliver their foodstuffs to retail outlets, if they contain GMOs. Therefore, most of GM foods is fed to cattle,” the expert informed.
He added that the violation of biosafety rules is punishable in Belarus. “If genetically modified organisms were revealed, but producers ignored this fact, they will be punished by administrative penalties in the form of fines,” Sergei Dromashko said. In this case a self-employed businessman will have to pay from 20 to 200 base amounts and legal entities from 50 to 1,000 base amounts (one base amount now equals Br130,000). More than that, they are included in the list of mala fide producers posted on the website of the Trade Ministry.
belta.by, 1.10.2013
Continuation of Belarusian-Russian transgenic milk project undecided
EXPERT: NO GMOS IN BELARUSIAN STORES The Saint Peters-
burg Academic University – Nanotechnology Research and Education Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (the Academic University) is willing to offer training programs in nanotechnologies to Bela-rusian scientists, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rector of the Aca-demic University Zhores Alferov said speaking at the session of the Belarus-St Petersburg Business Cooperation Council on 2 October, BelTA has learnt.
Zhores Alferov noted that today nanotechnologies are not just a word. “Many realize their huge practical value. The Aca-demic University is ready to sign an agree-ment with the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus on the enrollment (of Belarusian scien-tists – BelTA’s note) to this university for a Master's program and postgraduate studies, so that they could take part in joint projects,” the Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences said.
He welcomed rather vigorous sci-tech cooperation between Belarusian and St Peters-burg scientists: “Joint projects with Belarusian research institutions are implemented by 23 out of 40 research centers of the Saint Peters-burg Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences”. According to Zhores Alferov, these projects are important for both Saint Petersburg and Belarus.
He believes that Belarusian and Russian scientists should unite efforts to produce drugs that now have to be imported. Modern science is coming up with new approaches to devel-oping such drugs, including medicines to treat cancer. “I think joint programs in this area would be particularly relevant,” the Vice President of
the Russian Academy of Sciences said. He added that Belarus and Saint Petersburg have a great human resources potential in this field.
As was reported earlier, the northern capital of Russia hosted a session of the Bela-rus-St Petersburg Business Cooperation Coun-cil on 2 October. The session was attended by Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasniko-vich.
belta.by, 3.10.2013
Also on:
Belarus attends Budapest Water Summit
Minsk to host 18th Belarus energy and ecology forum 15-18 October
International tourism exhibition Turbi-znes 2013 due in Minsk 23-25 October
Minsk to host UNOOSA workshop 11-15 November
Free tours around Minsk on 23-25 Octo-ber
Belarus-UN exhibition project to open in Minsk 22 October
LOCAL LEVEL TRAINING WORKSHOP ON STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT (SEA) IN BELARUS
Belarusian space program to develop remote sensing technologies
Russia’s Academic University offers training in nanotechnologies to Belarus
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Belarusian Ambassador to Japan Sergei Rakhmanov attended the second international sympo-sium on nuclear security organized by the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF), the leading Japanese agency in the field of nuclear energy, on 23 October, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarus-ian Foreign Ministry.
Sergei Rakhmanov met with the senior officials of the JAIF, specialists at the University of Tokyo and the Japan Institute of International Affairs engaged in the reha-bilitation effort in the wake of the Fukushima-1 accident.
“The Japanese partners have expressed their interest in further development of fruitful cooperation with Belarus in liquidating the aftermath of the accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant,” the Foreign Minsitry said.
belta.by, 23.10.2013
Also on:
Japan shows interest in Gomel Chernobyl education projects
Global nuclear station construction forecasts back to pre-Fukushima level
Japanese experts interested in Belarus’ practices in children’s rehabilitation
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Japan committed to cooperation in nuclear security with Belarus
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GREEN BELARUS
NEWS & EVENTS
P. 4 NEWS & EVENTS IN BELARUS
Belarus, Poland to run eco-project in Belovezhskaya Pushcha
A large-scale international environmental project will be imple-mented in the Belarusian-Polish borderline adjoining the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, BelTA learnt from Chairman of the Vysokoye Town Executive Committee Leonid Biruk.
The international technical aid project “Development of the cross-border environmental protection of Czeremcha and Vysokoye by means of expanding the sewage system” passed the national approval procedure and was adopted by the Council of Ministers’ resolution on 13 September. Taking part in the project are four partners, including Gmina Czeremcha (Poland), the Vysokoye Town Executive Com-mittee, the association of the self-governments of the Euro-Region Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the Kamenets housing and public utilities company.
Some 17.5km of new sewage networks and 10 pumping stations will be constructed in Vysokoye. Old waste water treatment facilities will be reclaimed, while all municipal effluents will be re-channeled into the biological treatment facili-ties.
A network of sanitary sewage facilities as long as 4.1km will be built in Gmina Czeremcha.
“The implementation of the project will help considerably improve the amenities in these settlements. At the same time, by eliminating household pits we will be able to reduce uncontrolled waste water discharge into the environment and improve the environmental situation in the region,” Leonid Biruk said. The upgrade of the water sewage system will mark the beginning of a large-scale improvement project in the former district center.
The total financing is estimated at €3.8 million. Some €1.6 million was earmarked for the Belarusians part of the project, of which €1.4 million will be pro-vided by the European Union.
After signing a grant contract, the Kamenets housing and public utilities company will announce an international tender. The works are to start at the end of spring or the beginning of the summer 2014. The project will take two years and will be supervised by the Brest Oblast Executive Committee.
belta.by, 17.10.2013
Also on:
Union State bison breeding program to be considered 2-4 October
UNDP announces contest for agro- and eco-tourism initiatives in Belarus
Polotsk District wins cross-border cooperation contest
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BELARUS, HUNGARY
SHARE EXPERIENCE IN SUSTAINABLE USE OF WATER RESOURCES
Belarus, Armenia discuss prospects of aquatic system research center
Belarus and Hungary exchanged the experience in the field of sustainable use of water resources at the Budapest Water Summit, BelTA learned from spokes-person for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection Olga Le-lyukova.
The summit has been organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary with the assistance of the UN agencies, the government and the private sector, civil society, aca-demic and educational institutions.
The summit discussed the issues of renewal of water resources, including in the context of the goals set out by the UN Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20. In addition, the summit also considered possible practical solutions in terms of proper use and restoration of water resources.
Belarus’ Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Protection Vladimir Tsalko met with heads of international organizations of the United Nations system and heads of delegations of the participating countries to discuss the development of bilateral and multilateral coopera-tion in the water sector, and also the international technical assistance for Belarus.
The Budapest Water Summit was attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Hungarian President Janos Ader, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, WHO Director Gen-eral Margaret Chan, FAO Director General Josй Graziano da Silva, Director General of the World Meteorological Organization Michel Jarraud, a number of the ministers responsible for the environment and water resources management.
Vladimir Tsalko also took part in the session of the Belarusian-Hungarian intergovern-mental commission, which was held in Budapest simultaneously with the Summit. During the session, Vladimir Tsalko and State Secretary for External Economic Relations and Foreign Affairs of the Office of the Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Szijjarto discussed issues of cooperation, including projects on water and construction materials.
In addition, Vladimir Tsalko attended the exhibition of the companies and enterprises working in the field of water treatment and water supply.
belta.by, 15.10.2013
Belarus and New Zealand agreed to develop scientific and educational cooperation in the Antarctic Region, acting head of the national polar research center, head of the Belarusian Antarctica expedition Aleksei Gaidashov told BelTA.
The decision on cooperation development was taken at a working meeting where representatives of Belarus and New Zealand discussed prospects for joint projects in the Antarctic.
Partaking in the meeting was First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Belarus Vitaly Kulik, Head of the Depart-ment of Hydrometeorology of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Envi-ronment of Belarus Igor Rogozin, Head of the Department of International Cooperation of the ministry Marina Filipyuk. The meeting was also attend-ed by Director of the Institute of Environmental Management of the Na-tional Academy of Sciences of Belarus Alexander Karabanov, Chief Re-search Worker Institute of Environmental Management of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Loginov, Head of the Belarusian Antarctica expedition Aleksei Gaidashov.
New Zealand’ position was presented by Honorary Consul of Belarus in New Zealand Stuart Prior.
In his words, the Belarusian state program on the exploration of polar areas of the Earth is not only competently compiled but also touches upon the most important issues related to the exploration of the ice conti-nent. In this respect New Zealand, being an advisory to the Antarctic Treaty, is ready to provide Belarus with all-round support in part of fulfill-ment of obligations and implementation of the rights within this interna-tional agreement. The states that act as advisories to the Antarctic Treaty have the right to make collective decisions on further fate of the territory, which can make a source of additional economic benefits for these coun-tries.
Stuart Prior also showed a big interest in Belarusian projects related to the studies of the Antarctic’s influence on the climate of the planet. “New Zealand, like Belarus, is an agrarian country. It is of great importance for us to get the relevant knowledge and conduct independent research which in the future will help forecast the climate changes,” the official said.
Besides, the parties discussed the prospects of training special-ists, whose activity will be directly connected to the research of the Ant-arctic, and the opportunity for further exchange of the personnel. In par-ticular, the sides discussed an opening of an international education center in cooperation with other partner-states. Stuart Prior suggested organizing short-term training courses for Belarusian specialists in Christchurch, New Zealand.
belta.by, 29.10.2013
Belarus, New Zealand to cooperate in Antarctic Region
MINSK TO HOST IEC GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN 2015
Prospects for opening an international aquatic system research center (Armenia-Belarus-Russia) will be discussed at a meeting of the Belarusian-Armenian commission for sci-tech cooperation in Yerevan, BelTA learnt from the press service of the State Committee for Science and Technology.
The agenda of the meeting includes nearly 10 issues, including priority areas of Arme-nian-Belarusian sci-tech cooperation, the order of holding competitions of scientific programs given the bilateral sci-tech agreement between Belarus and Armenia and joint Armenian-Belarusian scientific events. The parties will also consider possible joint competitions among interstate targeted programs of mutual interest.
The meeting of the joint Belarusian-Armenian commission for sci-tech cooperation will last through 15 October. Belarus is presented at the meeting by First Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Science and Technology Leonid Demidov.
belta.by, 14.10.2013
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The 20th Belarusian Energy and Ecol-ogy Forum will be held in October 2015 and will be co-located with the General Assembly of the International Energy Commission (IEC), Viktor Nazarenko, the Chairman of the State Committee for Standardization of Belarus, said at the international conference on energy conservation and efficiency. The conference was held in Minsk as part of the 18th Belarus-ian Energy and Ecology Forum and Congress, BelTA learned.
Victor Nazarenko informed that Belarus has successfully bid to host the IEC General Assem-bly. Minsk has set up an organizing committee for the General Assembly. Main preparations have been envisaged in the resolution of the Council of Minis-ters. Viktor Nazarenko called upon the ministries, departments, organizations and enterprises to join in the effort to prepare the IEC General Assembly.
Approximately 1,500 participants from 160 countries will travel to Minsk for the General Assembly. The General Assembly will feature meetings of at least 20 international technical committees in various areas of economic develop-ment. It is therefore important that Belarus should be techni-cally ready to host such a
representative forum. It is also important that the domestic industry and business should show willing-ness to participate in the work of the Assembly and use the results of the IEC activities.
The IEC GA sits in different country every year. Belarus will host the event for the first time. According to Viktor Nazarenko, it will be a good opportunity for Belarus to show its position in the international electrotechnical sector.
Over the last decade the IEC GA meetings have been hosted by China, Canada, South Korea, the Republic of South Africa, Germany, France, Brazil, Israel, the U.S., Australia, and Norway. In 2013 the forum was be held in India. Japan is the host of the forum in 2014.
The International Electrotechnical Com-mission (IEC) is a not-for-profit organization for
standardization in the field of electrical, electronic and related technologies. It is headquar-tered in Geneva. The annual IEC General Assembly is the supreme governing body of the organization. The countries are represented in the IEC through their national standardization services. Belarus has been the IEC’s full member since 1993.
belta.by, 17.10.2013
Belarusian legislation on alternative energy needs improving
Belarus needs to improve legislation in the field of alternative energy sources, Belarusian First Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Minister Vitaly Kulik said at the plenary session of the 18th Belarusian Energy and Ecology Congress on 16 October, BelTA has learnt.
“Sources which produce biogas (biofuel and biomethane) which cannot be used for produc-ing electricity are currently not on the list of renew-able sources. The definition of energy produced from renewable sources is incorrect, too. Such energy includes only electricity,” Vitaly Kulik said.
Moreover, organizations which produce energy from unconventional sources operate in more favorable conditions in comparison to major energy operators which are generally state organi-zations. “In line with Belarusian laws they [major energy operators] cannot set tariffs on electricity
produced from local and renewable fuel by private owners,” Vitaly Kulik underlined. As a result the entire profit goes to private manufacturers, includ-ing quite a few foreign investors. “They use this money to buy foreign currency thus increasing the burden placed on the Belarusian foreign exchange market,” Vitaly Kulik noted.
Vitaly Kulik added that natural energy sources require very expensive equipment and have a low cost of production at the exploitation stage. “In order to use wind, solar or water power one does not need to store up raw materials or employ large numbers of people. That is why the development of this area is among top priorities in Belarus,” Vitaly Kulik stressed adding that this work should start with improving the legal frame-work.
belta.by, 16.10.2013
МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЙ
BELARUS TREASURES COOPERATION WITH IAEA
P. 5
The government program to guide the development of the Belarusian energy system
till 2016 has been corrected. The new document was adopted by Council of Ministers resolution
No. 892. The resolution was published by the national legislation information website law.by
on 17 October, BelTA has learned.
The correction has been performed for the sake of updating the program.
The changes are most visible in the part concerning results of the government program. In line with the new document the Belarusian national electric company Belenergo is supposed to commission
1,871.3MW of energy-generating facilities by 2016 instead of 2,241MW. As much as 906MW worth of
ineffective installations will be decommissioned instead of 1,820MW. Natural gas consumption is supposed
to be reduced to 2.015 million tonnes of oil equivalent (1.75 billion m3) instead of 1.426 million tonnes of oil equivalent (1.26 billion m3). Parameters of fuel and energy saving as well as the expected specific fuel
consumption for electricity generation at Belenergo facilities have been left unchanged – 1.265 million
tonnes of oil equivalent and 25-30g of equivalent fuel per 1kWh respectively. The demand for finance to implement the program (taking into account money spent in 2011-2012) now stands at Br39.191 trillion
instead of Br45.063 trillion (taking into account money spent in 2011).
The list of legislative instruments the program’s development relied on has changed. Titles of some sections have been changed, outdated names of government agencies have been updated. Some
other changes have been introduced.
Asked to comment on the corrected government program, Belenergo Director General Yevgeny Voronov remarked that the document now meets the conditions that had changed since the program was
initially adopted. The lower volume of energy-generating facilities to be commissioned was attributed to
the rescheduling of some launches to the period starting from 2017. However, the country's demand for heating and electricity will be satisfied. Respectively the volumes and timelines for decommissioning
ineffective energy facilities have been changed, the demand for finance to implement the program has
been corrected. While most of the corrections are technical, the strategic goal and the main directions to
implement the program remain unchanged: further reduction of the GDP energy intensity through better performance of the entire energy system, better energy effectiveness of the national economy. Securing a
certain share of local and renewable fuels in the total consumption will play its part, too.
belta.by, 17.10.2013
Also on:
UNDP: Belarus’ energy efficiency efforts are commendable
Another IBRD loan for better energy effectiveness in Belarus
€4m worth of equipment for Belarus under EU energy efficiency project
Belarus’ power grid to see 390MW capacity boost in 2013
Belarus to scrap cross subsidies in electric power industry in 2014
Deterioration of Belarusian power grid down to 40% in 2013
Global nuclear station construction forecasts back to pre-Fukushima level The overall forecast regarding the construction of nuclear power plants across the
globe till 2030 is back to the pre-Fukushima level, the official website of the Russian state corporation Rosatom quoted Rosatom head Sergei Kiriyenko as saying at the 6th regional
public dialogue forum Nuclear Enterprises, Society, Safety in Saint Petersburg.
BelTA has learned that the Rosatom head strongly believes that despite the overall global de-
cline in orders for the nuclear industry after the accident at the nuclear power plant Fukushima 1 the
Russian nuclear industry has doubled the volume of orders.
Sergei Kiriyenko noted that the geography of nuclear power plant construction had changed.
The UK is now among those willing to vigorously develop nuclear power engineering.
The nuclear power plant Kudankulam in India is the first power plant built in accordance with
post-Fukushima safety requirements. The Rosatom head underlined that the new station can survive an
earthquake on par with the one that hit Fukushima without any consequences for the environment.
Sergei Kiriyenko also noted that all the nuclear power plants, which are under construction in
Russia, meet the post-Fukushima safety requirements. belta.by,
22.10.2013
Also on: Presentation of Belarusian nuclear station construction project in Czech Brno
Belarus government approves nuclear station design documents
Over Br152bn for Belarusian nuclear station’s power output system, linkup to power grid
Komarov: Rosatom leads the world’s NPP construction market Russian-made cooling towers for Belarusian nuclear power plant
Belarus to share experience in nuclear and radiation safety with Georgia
Belarus, Turkey to ink agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy
Jordan chooses Russian nuclear power plant design
NEWS & EVENTS IN BELARUS
Representatives of Belarusian environmental organizations
and the National Center for Radiation Control and Environmental Monitoring of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental
Protection examined a number of facilities located near the Bela-
rusian nuclear power plant construction site in Ostrovets on 16
October, BelTA learnt from the Belarusian public association Envi-ronmental Initiative.
The activists selected soil and air samples to be tested for Caesi-
um-137 and Strontium-90 and measured gamma-radiation in Ostrovets, in particular in the central public garden, and two neighborhoods. They also
took water samples from a well used by local residents.
Chairman of the Environmental Initiative association Yuri Solo-vyov said that the National Center for Radiation Control and Environmental
Monitoring took 15 soil samples, two water samples and two air samples.
The results of the tests will be ready by mid-November. They will be pre-
sented to the public via mass media and discussed at roundtable sessions and seminars.
Yuri Solovyov noted that the data that will be obtained during the
tests will allow exercising public control over the environmental safety of the NPP and will become the basis for an independent monitoring of the
impact of the nuclear power plant on the environment and human health.
“The results of the tests will become a kind of benchmark that will be used to monitor the changes in the environment near the nuclear power plant after the facility is commissioned,” the environmentalist said.
The research is part of the project to conduct public monitoring of
the environmental impact of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The pro-ject was initiated by a number of Belarusian environmental organizations.
On 14-18 October environmentalists are taking samples of soil, air and
water in Ostrovets and the villages of Gozy and Trokeniki, Ostrovets Dis-
trict, and on the NPP construction site.
belta.by, 16.10.2013
Also on:
Public monitoring of environmental impact of Belarus’ NPP kicks off in Belarus
Belarus answers all Lithuania’s questions on NPP in line with Espoo Convention
Belarusian NPP design praised as most technologically advanced
Belarus is interested in
continuing projects of technical
cooperation with the Internation-
al Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), BelTA learned from representa-
tives of the Nuclear and Radiation
Safety Department of the Belarus-
ian Emergencies Ministry after a visit of Manase Peter Salema,
Director of the Division for Europe of the IAEA’s Department of Technical Cooperation, to Belarus.
At the meeting with Manase Peter Salema head of the Nuclear
and Radiation Safety Department (Gosatomnadzor) Olga Lugovskaya
stated that technical cooperation with the IAEA is invaluable for the Bela-
rusian regulating agency, which is going through development in step with the country’s nascent nuclear energy industry.
While in Belarus the IAEA representative visited the Polesie state
radiation reserve and the Radiology Institute… READ MORE
belta.by, 14.10.2013
Also on:
Belarus attends IAEA’s workshop on GNSSN/NNRP in Berlin
Belarus hosting IAEA mission as part of preparations for 2014 IIHF WC
There are plans to set up a production of
flexible and small solar panels in Grodno Oblast, BelTA learnt from executive Director of the Renewa-
ble Energy Association Vladimir Nistyuk.
An agreement has been reached to build a solar
panel plant in Belarus, which is to be located in Grodno
District. Vladimir Nistyuk believes there is a need to make
use of all known energy saving and production methods,
with the majority of them already known to Belarus. They just need to be implemented. “Grodno Oblast is the coun-try’s pioneer and leader in renewable energy. A hydroelec-tric power plant has been built there and it is up and run-
ning at full capacity ahead of schedule. In Novogrudok District there is a wind-power unit which power takeoff
makes up 31%, which is more efficient than any wind-
power unit on the continental shelf in Europe. The region
has ambitious plans in line with the national program on the development of local and renewable energy resources
for 2011-2015, and all existing resources should be used to
implement them. It is important to find the relevant part-
ners and help fulfill the plans,” he said.
According to Vladimir Nistyuk, by 2015 the city of
Grodno should cover up to 35.8% of its needs in energy
with the help of its own resources (the figure for Grodno Oblast is 30.7%). To compare: Europe plans to reach the
share of 20% in domestic resources by 2020. By 2015
Grodno Oblast is expected to commission biogas complexes
and units with the total electrical capacity of cogeneration plants amounting to 55.2MW.
Apart from that, Grodno Oblast also plans to install 23 solar water heaters. Solar plants will be installed
first of all in recreation camps Belkard and Grodnotextil.
Four collectors will be set up in OAO Grodno Bus Fleet and
one in OAO Grodnooblavtotrans.
According to the executive director, Grodno Oblast
shows good wind potential. The companies, New Formation
and Small Energy, are taking part in the development of
new wind mills in Grodno Oblast with the total capacity of 6MW. Among the future plans is also a wind mill in Dyat-
lovo District (about 30MW) and in Novogrudok (1.5-10MW).
Another promising project is chip fuel production for boilers
running on local fuels and small CHP plants. By late 2015 Grodno Oblast is expected to produce 268,000 cubic me-
ters of chip fuel a year.
According to Vladimir Nistyuk, today Belarus has all necessary resources to develop renewable energy: the
association, government bodies, financial, innovation and
consulting organizations. According to the data, in January-
June 2013 Belarus reduced the import of electricity by 3.6% as compared with the same period in 2012 to 3639
million kWh or by 7.2% to $219.6 million in money terms.
The task is to take a more active part in implementing
innovation technologies in energy, i.e. build small hydroe-lectric power plants, produce energy out of biogas, use
solar energy to the maximum, upgrade the existing plants
in order to enhance energy efficiency, construct energy-
efficient dwelling. Besides, the oblast should actively adopt
foreign experience, cooperate with educational institutions and civil organizations, use energy management potential,
etc. belta.by,
4.10.2013
Grodno Oblast mulls over solar panel manufacturing
BELARUSIAN ENERGY SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM REVISED
Air and soil samples taken
NEAR BELARUS’ NPP
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NEWS & EVENTS IN BELARUS
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BELARUS POPULATION AT 9.465M AS OF 1 OCTOBER As of 1 October 2013 Bela-
rus’ population stood at 9,465,500 people, BelTA learned from Olga
Klavsut, Press Secretary of the
National Statistics Committee of
Belarus. In January-September 2013
the natural decline in the population
was 28% below that registered in Janu-
ary-September 2012 and totaled 6,247 people. At the same time, the migration
gain amounted to 7,869 people, 28.6%
up or 1,750 people up from January-
September 2012. The migration gain managed to compensate for the natural
decline and secured an increase in the
population.
According to the latest data, in
January-September 2013 as many as
87,917 children were born in Belarus
while 94,164 people died. The number of deaths exceeded the number of
people, who were born, by 7.1%
(10.2% in January-September 2012).
In January-September 2013 the nationwide birth rate totaled 12.4
per 1,000 capita (12.1 per 1,000 capita
in January-September 2012). The
highest birth rate was registered in Minsk Oblast (13.2 per 1,000 capita)
while the lowest was registered in
Vitebsk Oblast (11.1 per 1,000 capita).
In January-September 2013 the nationwide death rate totaled 13.3
per 1,000 capita (13.3 per 1,000 capita
in January-September 2012). The
highest death rate was registered in
Vitebsk Oblast and Minsk Oblast (15.4
and 15 per 1,000 capita respectively) while the lowest death rate was regis-
tered in the city of Minsk (9.2 per 1,000
capita). belta.by,
28.10.2013
The summit of the Supreme Eurasian Economic
Council held in Minsk on 24 October helped considera-bly advance in the preparation of the Eurasian Econom-
ic Union Treaty. The Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan
and Russia pledged to do their utmost to remove all
the existing exemptions and restrictions within the framework of the Customs Union and the Single Eco-
nomic Space, so that the Eurasian Economic Union will
become operational starting from 1 January 2015. The
Presidents welcomed plans of other countries to join the Customs Union. The work of the summit was
broadly covered by Belarusian and foreign mass media:
about 300 journalists from several countries were
accredited to cover the summit.
The session of the CIS Council of Heads of State
was held in Minsk on 25 October. The leaders of the Com-
monwealth countries reiterated commitment to preserve and promote the CIS as an important ground for an interstate
dialogue. The summit demonstrated the readiness of the CIS
member states to take part in new integration projects. A
decision was made to announce the year 2014 the Year of
Tourism and the year 2015 the Year of the Veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Following the summit the presidents of
the CIS member states laid flowers at the Alley of Distin-
guished Guests in Minsk.
Law on vehicle confiscation for DUI came in force in
Belarus on 24 October. Article 317-1 “Driving while intoxicat-ed, giving a vehicle to an intoxicated person or rejecting
medical examination” of the Criminal Code of Belarus now allows confiscating vehicles, including those that do not
belong to offenders if offenders are caught driving under the
influence for the second time during the same year.
The joint action plan developed by the Government
and the National Bank to conduct structural reforms and raise
the competitiveness of the domestic economy was passed on
10 October. The plan envisages structural economic reforms aimed to secure a long-term and sustainable economic
growth. In line with the reforms, ministries and local authori-
ties will revisit their functions and goals and switch from the
management of subordinated organizations to the develop-ment of territories and specific industries. The administrative
reform envisages elimination of concerns and establishment
of corporate legal entities instead of them, de-monopolization
of the economy (power engineering, transport, communica-tion, housing and utilities services).
The President of Belarus signed Decree No. 461 to ban private companies from managing the housing stock. The
document provides for tougher control over homeowners
associations and development companies, tougher punish-
ment of heads of these organizations for improper manage-
ment and operation of the common housing stock.
The Belarusian government adopted project docu-
ments for the Belarusian NPP. In line with the document, the
Belarusian nuclear power plant will have the following tech-nical and economic indicators: two power generating units
with the established nominal capacity of 1,194 MW each with
the operation period of 50 years; the average annual electric
energy output will be 17,095.1 million kWh if the NPP is operated in the basic mode. The architectural design of the
Belarusian NPP was passed, too.
President of Ecuador Rafael Correa Delgado paid an official visit to Belarus on 30-31 October. During the talks
featuring Belarusian and Ecuadorian delegations Alexander
Lukashenko and Rafael Correa Delgado welcomed successful
cooperation in oil exploration and production. The Presidents agreed to promote cooperation in powering engineering,
construct power grids in Ecuador, establish joint production of
machinery and intensify ties in science and the defense sec-
tor. Members of the Ecuadorian delegation put forward pro-posals to expand direct trading contracts to avoid intermedi-
ary countries. Alexander Lukashenko upheld this idea and
suggested setting up a logistics center in Belarus focusing on
Russia, Ukraine, Baltic States and other EU member states.
The joint action plan for 2014-2016 to implement
Belarus-Kazakhstan Economic Cooperation Program for 2009-
2016 was signed in Astana. The document was signed follow-ing the talks of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
and his Kazakhstani counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev during
the official visit of the Belarusian head of state to Kazakh-
stan.
belta.by, 1.11.2013
Also on:
Belarus 41st on ICT Development Index
OCTOBER 2013 TOP NEWS
At present the birth rate in Belarus is similar to that of Europe-an countries, chief Ob/Gyn specialist of the maternal and child health bureau of the Belarusian Healthcare Ministry Svetlana Soroka has told a press conference, BelTA has learnt.
Thanks to comprehensive measures to protect the reproductive health, the birth rate has been on the rise in the country since 2003 and has increased by 35%. The cumulative birthrate is below the simple reproduc-tion rate, however it rose up to 1.62 in 2012.
Belarus has done a lot to improve healthcare provi-sion and social security of mothers, the representative of the Healthcare Ministry emphasized. The country is doing a lot to protect the health of mothers and to guarantee affordability and availability of high-quality healthcare services. “In terms of efficiency of healthcare services, Belarus does not lag behind Europe and other countries,” Svetlana Soroka said.
Belarus established a network of national medical research centers in a bid to increase the availability and improve the quality of highly specialized medical care for women. These centers use advanced and high-tech diagnos-tics and treatment methods.
As a result, the maternal mortality rate has reduced from 21.3 per 10,000 live births in 2000 to 0.9 per 10,000 live births in 2012, including from direct obstetric reasons - 6.4 and 0.9 respectively.
The morbidity rate of pregnant women stopped growing in 2001. Last year 73 out of 100 women were diag-nosed with some disease during their pregnancy.
The share of easy deliveries has been in-creasing in recent years. In 2012 some 38.9% of childbirths proceeded without any complications (in 2000 the figure stood at 25%). The number of premature births has stabilized and is under 4%.
The number of childbirths has been on the rise. As far as multiple births are concerned, twins are born in 96% of cases, triplets in 3.6% and quadruplets in less than 1% of cases.
The government has created the necessary conditions to enable women to combine work with pregnancy and motherhood. The state provides legal protection, financial and
moral support to mothers. Women who get registered at maternity centers before 12 weeks of pregnancy and fulfill doctors’ recommendations in full are rewarded by a special allowance.
Maternity hospitals are equipped for joint stay of mothers and babies; breastfeeding is strongly encouraged as one of the most efficient ways to strengthen the health condi-tion of mothers and children. 100% of births are aided by qualified medical personnel and 99.9% of women give birth at a medical facility. At present 85% of babies are brought to their mothers after birth.
belta.by, 10.10.2013
Also on:
Pinsk recognized as Child Friendly City
Over 100,000 women become mothers in Belarus every year
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Birth rate in Belarus the same as in Europe
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