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Belarusian Education Minister Andrei Ivanets and Russian Science and Higher Education Minister Valery Falkov signed an intergovernmental agreement on the conditions of the Belarus-Russia University (BRU) operation. The ceremony was held via videoconference, the press service of the Belarusian Education Ministry told BelTA.
The agreement marks a new stage in the education and science development of the Belarus-Russia Union State. BRU is a major regional research and educational center to train engineers for the real sector of the economy. Around 5,000 students study at the university across 28 Belarusian and 15 Russian academic programs. On 19 January 2026, the university celebrated its 25th anniversary. It looks confidently to the future.
The document will expand the training of highly qualified specialists for the economies of both countries, develop networked educational programs (projects are already underway with Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Belarusian State Technological University, and other universities). It will also strengthen scientific and technical cooperation, including projects in additive technologies, robotics, and industrial AI, and create conditions for new laboratories and competence centers.
BRU continues its transformation into an international center for integrating education, science, and digital technologies, aimed at ensuring the technological independence of Belarus and Russia.
Photo courtesy of Belarus' Education Ministry
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has expressed political support for Brazil’s incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in connection with the upcoming election in the country. The head of state made this statement during a meeting with Brazil’s Ambassador to Belarus Bernard Klingl on 2 February, BelTA has learned.
“Brazil is going through an important political period. As far as I know, this year you will hold general elections, where you will elect practically everyone. Frankly speaking, I do not envy you, because this is a challenging time. We sincerely hope that the current president of Brazil will remain in office following these elections. To my knowledge, he has confirmed his participation,” the head of state said.
“If necessary, we will do our utmost to ensure that the elections in Brazil take place in a peaceful and calm atmosphere, in the interests of the Brazilian people. If that is required,” the Belarusian president assured.
Dancing is one of the fun activities to enjoy with friends on long winter evenings.
On 31 January the State Museum of the History of Belarusian Literature invited Belarusians of different ages and professions united by a love for music, dance, and Belarusian traditions for a dance evening. Experienced dancers helped those present get acquainted with the basic movements of various dances.
Accompanied by the violin, cimbalom, accordion, drum, and other instruments, the enthusiasts had fun dancing Lyavonikha, Krakoviak, Hrachaniki and Kakhanachka.
It is important to achieve efficient production, while maintaining a balance between actual productivity and wages, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he visited Planar on 30 January, BelTA has learned.
The president assured that the state will continue to support advanced enterprises such as Planar. “We created this, invested money, and will continue to do so. But we see that in just two or three years you will easily pay back these funds and produce high value-added products with profit,” he said.
At such a level of development, enterprises are able to ensure strong financial and economic performance, decent working conditions and wages for employees, who, as he noted, are willing to work extra shifts and even on weekends. “I haven’t heard anyone at Planar complaining on TikTok that they’re being forced to work. That is great,” Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked. “But money is never enough. And for you too, probably. That’s good: it means you’ll strive to earn more.”
One phase of the snap inspection of the Armed Forces, conducted on the president’s order, has been completed, State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Aleksandr Volfovich told the media on 30 January, BelTA has learned.
“Today, one phase of the snap inspection of the Armed Forces, conducted on the order of the president, has been completed. This stage included checking the combat readiness and combat capability of the 19th Separate Mechanized Brigade in fulfilling tasks according to its combat designation. The inspection took place under challenging weather conditions – severe frost, snow, and freezing rain. This affected the progress of completing the assigned tasks and control exercises. However, the brigade’s personnel successfully fulfilled the task set by the president. They worked through all the issues put forth for inspection: bringing to combat readiness, loading material resources, conducting a march over rough terrain, moving into an assembly area where control exercises in combat training subjects were conducted. The results the servicemen demonstrated are positive,” Aleksandr Volfovich said.
As BelTA previously reported, a large-scale inspection of the Armed Forces on the instructions of the head of state began on 16 January. Aleksandr Lukashenko is personally monitoring its progress. A new system has been implemented that allows the president to directly place military units on combat readiness, circumventing the Defense Ministry and the General Staff. The main aim of these inspections is to gain an objective assessment. This is precisely why they are carried out without prior notice.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko received Agriculture and Food Minister Yuri Gorlov on 29 January, BelTA has learned.
“I have had to communicate with you often, especially this winter. It was not for nothing that I put pressure on the regions, the country, and you. Particularly concerning livestock wintering. The weather has tested us. Therefore, my first question is about the current situation in agriculture, specifically livestock preservation. What are the concerns? This is the most important issue. Which regions are performing well and which are not? And the key point: why are we failing in certain aspects?” the head of state said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko also asked about the implementation of earlier instructions to restore and organize the work of municipal-level entities, including agricultural service, agrochemical service, and construction units at the district level. “So that a chairman of the district executive committee (you worked as a chairman, you know what it is) can have a real instrument at his disposal: not just to sit in his office and give some orders. But to have a real means to influence situation and provide help and support. We have a number of districts that have already solved these tasks. And in spring, of course, we will go there and invite the relevant officials so that they understand how it should be done,” the president said.
Restrictions and bans on traveling to Belarus will have the opposite effect on Latvian citizens, and they will want to go to the country themselves to see how people actually live there, former Latvian MEP, media expert and journalist Andrey Mamykin told BelTA while commenting on the strict restrictions of the Latvian side for its citizens to travel on tourist buses.
The expert believes that the effect will be exactly the opposite of what the Latvian authorities expected. "Strangely enough, this will have the opposite effect, because the forbidden fruit is sweet. I remember being a young man: while the Voice of America was banned, I always listened to it on the sly, secretly from my communist grandfather. And when they allowed these things, chewing gum and Coca-Cola, I realized what nonsense it was. Very soon, the Balts will want to feel, see and get to know the Republic of Belarus firsthand. Naturally, they will leave with many positive impressions, because Belarus has those objective criteria and positive aspects that are missing in Latvia," Andrey Mamykin is convinced.
He added that another important aspect in our country is the administrative flexibility due to its compact size. "Belarus, being a small and compact country, has a high speed of maneuver. What I mean is this: when a foreigner comes to Belarus and applies for a residence permit, your authorities distinguish whether the person was convicted under a political article or a criminal one. Those who arrive with political convictions, in particular from Latvia, people who suffered for freedom of speech, receive asylum in Belarus," he explained.
On 28 January, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko received a report from State Secretary of Belarus’ Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich. The head of state is personally overseeing the progress of the large-scale surprise combat readiness inspection of the Armed Forces, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian leader.
The president was given a detailed account of the specifics and interim results of the inspection, including how personnel and equipment are performing the assigned tasks, as well as the organization of supply and storage of material resources.
Aleksandr Lukashenko inquired about how the accommodations and daily lives of the personnel are arranged in difficult weather conditions, and whether the necessary uniforms are provided.
The head of state emphasized the importance of learning from modern military conflicts in relation to Belarus’ forested and marshy terrain.
The president set the necessary tasks for the further course of the inspection, which will continue until spring of this year. Upon its completion, a detailed analysis will be conducted to eliminate possible shortcomings and adjust efforts to improve the Armed Forces, as well as the training and preparation of personnel.
Belarus and China will step up cooperation in standardization on a bilateral level and within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BelTA learned from the press service of Belarus’ State Committee for Standardization.
The legal framework of Belarus-China cooperation in technical regulation comprises 13 documents, including an agreement on cooperation in the reproduction and dissemination of standards, an agreement on cooperation and a memorandum in standardization, metrology, conformity assessment and accreditation, as well as other agreements, including those at the level of national institutes in standardization and metrology.
Bilateral cooperation in these areas has intensified significantly over the past two years. In particular, on 31 August 2025, as part of the head of state’s visit to the People’s Republic of China, a memorandum of understanding between the State Committee for Standardization and China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on cooperation in ensuring measurement uniformity and a memorandum between the Belarusian State Institute of Metrology and the National Institute of Metrology of China on mutual understanding regarding cooperation in metrology were signed.
In addition, in 2025, specialists of the Belarusian State Institute of Metrology underwent a training internship at the National Institute of Metrology of China in Beijing, where they completed a training course and practical training in various areas. The participation of State Committee for Standardization representatives in the first conference on standardization cooperation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, held under the chairmanship of China in Qingdao in July, gave an additional impetus to the practical deepening of cooperation between the State Committee for Standardization and SAMR in standardization. The conference resulted in Belarus joining the Qingdao initiative to strengthen cooperation in standardization between the national standardization bodies of the SCO countries.
Cooperation continued with the State Committee for Standardization taking part in the China Quality Conference in Nanjing in September 2025. On the sidelines of the forum, Belarus and China signed an agreement on cooperation in standardization. The updated document makes it possible to develop cooperation mechanisms between member states and observers of the SCO in standardization, harmonize approaches to the development and application of standards, and create favorable conditions for the development of innovations and the exchange of best practices.
China’s current quality strategy is fully in line with Belarus’ approaches to the development of the quality of Belarusian products, Belarus’ State Committee for Standardization noted.
In 2026, work to improve the legal framework in technical regulation, which contributes to the further development of trade and economic cooperation, will continue both on a bilateral level and within the framework of the plan of joint actions of the national standardization bodies of the SCO member states. This plan, in particular, provides for the establishment of a meeting of heads of standardization bodies, the creation of a working group on cooperation in standardization and quality infrastructure in general, as well as thematic expert groups in key areas of cooperation, including metrology, accreditation, conformity assessment. Their work will make the development and application of standards even more effective and in demand.
It is important to reformat the investment cooperation with China, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting to discuss cooperation with China on 27 January, BelTA has learned.
“It is necessary to reformat the investment cooperation. Chinese foreign investments are setting records, especially in Belt and Road countries. Our government also reports growth (up by 2,5 times in January-September 2025 year-on-year, reaching $443 million). But the directive [on developing relations with China] set significantly more ambitious targets (no less than half a billion dollars annually, and no less than $150 million in direct investments for each region and the city of Minsk),” the president said. “When you see the figures for direct Chinese investments by region (Vitebsk - $1 million, Grodno - $100,000 over a five-year period), it immediately becomes clear who works hard and who doesn’t. I mean generally, not just in terms of cooperation with China."
“Have we done everything necessary to make Chinese investors flock to us via the Silk Road?” the head of state asked a question.
He noted that dozens of Chinese companies are registered in the Great Stone Industrial Park, and the park's new management, along with the government, must assist in expediting the launch and achieving the planned capacity for all declared projects.
Tourist facilities of the district
Туристический портал Воложинского района
