Volozhin Region
Executive Committee

Volunteers of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) invite Belarusians to send New Year and Christmas cards to their dear ones and at the same time to participate in a charity project, BelTA learned from UNICEF in Belarus.

The Good Things Start with Us project will last until 15 January and will take place on the platform https://www.unicef.by/nycard2021/.

On this website anyone can send an electronic or paper postcard of a unique design to their loved ones for a small donation. The money raised will be spent on the Family for Every Child project that helps children with disabilities to return from nursing facilities to their families. In exchange, the participant of the campaign will be able to send New Year and Christmas wishes anywhere in Belarus. The names of the sender and recipient are added to the text of the card, which makes it personalized.

“The COVID-19 pandemic forced many to stay at home and observe voluntary self-isolation. In such a situation, words of support can come in handy. In addition, amidst the holiday bustle, it is sometimes difficult to find time to buy and sign a postcard. Therefore, UNICEF volunteers in Belarus will take care of it this year,” the organizers explained.

Since 2018, the Family for Every Child project has been implemented in Gomel Oblast in partnership with the Let's Help Children Together charity with the financial support of Priorbank, Raiffeisen Leasing and the Government of the Russian Federation. For the first two years, the focus was on families who raise children with disabilities. About 500 parents received information about their rights, available medical services, rehabilitation, social services and educational opportunities. The condition of 51 children in 45 families improved. In four cases, specialists prevented abandonment of children. In 2020, UNICEF continued to work in the region. The technology of case management is being introduced into the work with children and families in vulnerable situations. Another focus is on preventing the institutionalization of small children.

Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei met with Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Russia and concurrently to Belarus Abdulrahman Bin Suleiman Al Ahmed to receive the copy of his credentials on 15 December, BelTA has learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The parties discussed the topical issues of bilateral relations in political, trade and economic areas.

The minister and Saudi Arabia's ambassador confirmed their interest in intensifying the cooperation between Belarus and Saudi Arabia, including the exchange of visits of official and business delegations and the preparation of the next meeting of the joint intergovernmental committee.

Vladimir Makei wished the ambassador fruitful work in Belarus.

A meeting of the Sustainable Development Council took place at the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly on 14 December, BelTA learned from the press service of the upper chamber of the parliament.

“The year 2020 is very important not only for Belarus in terms of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but also for the entire international community. This is the year that launches the last decade before the end of the 2030 Agenda,” said Anatoly Isachenko, Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic and National Coordinator for the Sustainable Development Goals.

In his opinion, for Belarus this year is also the year of developing new strategic documents and plans for the next programming period, which should also be harmonized with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The members of the Council took stock of Belarus' progress in SDGs achievement, and discussed the preparation of the national sustainable development strategy till 2035, the social and economic development program for 2021-2025, the state sectoral programs, issues of green economy and sustainable development in the context of climate change.

“The success of the implementation of the Agenda 2030 in Belarus will depend on how we plan our next steps for the country's development. The achievement of high living standards, economic growth, development of a full-fledged competitive environment, creation of comfortable conditions for life and development of personal potential, preservation of natural systems for the present and future generations should become our fundamental priorities,” the national coordinator for the SDGs said.

The participants of the meeting stressed the extreme significance of new efforts and the generation of ideas aimed at improving the architecture of sustainable development.

Attending the meeting were representatives of government bodies and organizations, UN agencies, members of the SDG parliamentary and partner groups.

Belarus registered 1,961 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours; 2,542 coronavirus patients recovered, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Healthcare Ministry.

The nationwide COVID-19 tally has reached 160,295 cases. A total of 138,464 patients previously diagnosed with COVID-19 have recovered in Belarus.

As many as 1,263 COVID-19 patients have died since the infection's outbreak in Belarus.

Belarus has performed 3,609,517 tests, including 30,856 in the past 24 hours.

Belarus might produce its own coronavirus vaccine, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he talked with the staff of Minsk City Hospital No. 4 named after N.Ye. Savchenko on 14 December, BelTA informs.

The head of state informed that three main coronavirus containment strategies are on the table now: the purchase of a Russian vaccine, the production of vaccines from the Russian strain in Belarus, and the development of Belarus' own vaccine.

“It is possible that we will have to resort to all the three options. We will need to buy a vaccine in order to urgently vaccinate a risk group (these are doctors and nurses first of all). It would be good to start producing a vaccine locally. It is not only about selling it afterwards, but about meeting our own needs. Therefore, all the three options will be used. If our scientists achieve meaningful progress in it, we will start producing our own vaccine,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

According to him, Russia is ready to give Belarus everything it needs to embark on vaccine production.

“Why don't I rule out the production of our own vaccine? I am sure that this infection [coronavirus] will stay with us forever. Therefore, we will need a vaccine. And not only today or tomorrow, but also the day after tomorrow,” the head of state explained. “If we learn to produce a vaccine on our own and gain experience, we will have good specialists, scientists, good doctors, and thus the healthcare system will improve this way. In general, biotechnology has great prospects,” he emphasized.

Specialists from Vitebsk and scientists from the National Academy of Sciences submitted proposals for the production of the country's own vaccine to the head of state.

The president pointed to a fierce competition for the development and production of vaccines. “What worries me about this vaccine is a fight for money. Billions of dollars are involved, and everyone began to fight for this money. This overshadows the responsibility for the vaccine and for those people who take part in the trials,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

All the above-mentioned options are to be discussed on 17 December at a meeting hosted by the head of state.

The Belarusian air carrier Belavia will resume flights en route Minsk-Tallinn-Minsk as from 1 January 2021, BelTA learned from the press service of the airline.

Belavia will operate three flights a week: on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Belavia pointed out that Estonia has imposed travel restrictions. More information is available on the website belavia.by in the section “Covid-19. Passenger information” – “Government entry/exit requirements by country”.

On 10 December Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko took part in a solemn gathering of the staff of Belarusian National Technical University on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the university, BelTA has learned.

The visit was not in the president's schedule. However, according to the president, everyone would want to be part of the centennial celebration of the country's leading engineering university.

He noted that Belarusian National Technical University was the birthplace of the country's engineering science and creative work. “This event is a tribute not only and not so much to those who established this university, as to those who brought fame to it with their achievements,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

Samples of Belarusian automotive equipment developed by the university's graduates were put on display in the courtyard of the main building of the university. According to the president, Belarusian engineers can work wonders, however, they face a fierce global competition. “Everything that we have seen here is produced in huge amounts in the world. The fact that you have withstood this competition and manufacture products that are on demand in the global market is worth a lot,” the head of state stressed.

He added that he always treated the university's graduates with great respect. “I have always compared the actions of certain students, graduates, and so on: you have always been the pillar and foundation of our statehood,” the Belarusian leader said.

A day before, Aleksandr Lukashenko signed a decree on awarding Belarusian National Technical University with the Order of Labor Glory. The educational institution was honored with the award in recognition of its considerable contribution to the development of engineering education, scientific research in the energy sector, machine-building, construction and architecture, advanced technologies, training of highly qualified specialists and on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the university.

Earlier, on 7 December the president signed a decree to allow awarding organizations and their teams as well as military units with state awards.

Belarus has restricted departure across land borders amid the coronavirus pandemic. Resolution No. 705 of the Council of Ministers of 7 December "On amending the Council of Ministers' Resolution No. 208 of 8 April 2020 and Resolution No. 624 of 30 October 2020" was published on the National Legal Internet Portal on 10 December, BelTA has learned.

The document has been adopted to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection. "Crossing of the state border of the Republic of Belarus to exit the Republic of Belarus by Belarus citizens and foreign nationals who have Belarus' permanent or temporary residency permit is temporarily suspended," the resolution reads.

The restriction applies to road checkpoints, simplified border checkpoints, checkpoints at railway stations and in river ports.

“In exceptional cases involving extraordinary circumstances, and also in order to ensure the national interests of the Republic of Belarus, the head of the State Border Committee or an authorized official may allow crossing the state border of the Republic of Belarus to depart the country,” the document says.

The new rules do not apply to diplomats, international drivers, business travelers, those visiting seriously ill relatives or funerals, those going to work or study, and others. A cap is imposed on trips for work or study abroad: such trips can be made only once in six months.

There are no restrictions on entry, but those arriving in the country “are required to self-isolate for 10 days from the date of arrival in the Republic of Belarus and cannot cross the state border of the Republic of Belarus until the expiration of the self-isolation period”. Foreigners over six years old “must have an original or a copy of a medical document either in hard copy or an electronic form, confirming a negative COVID-19 test result”. The requirement does not apply to citizens with temporary or permanent residency permits.

The decree comes into force 10 days after its official publication.

Belarus' State Border Committee commented on the decision to restrict departures amid COVID-19, BelTA learned from the press service of the State Border Committee.

“The restrictions come into force on 00.00 on 21 December and will apply to foreign nationals and Belarusian citizens crossing the border in both directions through ground checkpoints on the border with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. Similar measures, in various forms, were imposed in Latvia, Lithuania and Russia. Thus, the departure of Belarusian citizens and foreign nationals living permanently in our country through ground checkpoints, except for some cases, is temporarily suspended. The restriction will not apply to air checkpoints,” State Border Committee said.

Restrictions on entry for foreigners through ground checkpoints remain in force. In addition, foreign nationals over six years old will need medical documents confirming the negative PRC tests for COVID-19.

“Foreign nationals and Belarusian citizens arriving from the countries included by the Healthcare Ministry of Belarus in the list of COVID-19 high-risk countries are required to self-isolate for 10 days from the date of arrival. They cannot cross the state border of the Republic of Belarus until the expiration of the self-isolation period. In case of the 24-hour transit and the documentary proof of this transit, no COVID-19 test or the 10-day self-isolation will be required. If the transit time exceeds 24 hours, the traveler may cross the border only if he or she has the corresponding medical document,” the State Border Committee said.

The document lists the categories of persons that are not subject to temporary restrictions. For example, these are diplomats, members of official delegations, international drivers, foreigners traveling for work or medical assistance, Belarusian nationals traveling abroad on notification of death or illness of a relative, as well as for work, on business, education and others. The rule does not apply to Russian citizens transiting through Belarus to the Russian Federation.

People may be allowed to cross the border in exceptional cases.

“Border checkpoints will continue to operate, yet with stricter restrictions in place in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection in Belarus,” the State Border Committee said.

Belarus has restricted departure across land borders amid the coronavirus pandemic. Resolution No. 705 of the Council of Ministers of 7 December "On amending the Council of Ministers' Resolution No. 208 of 8 April 2020 and Resolution No. 624 of 30 October 2020" was published on the National Legal Internet Portal on 10 December. The document has been adopted to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection. The decree comes into force 10 days after its official publication.

The bill "On amending the laws on mediation” passed the first reading at the meeting of the fourth session of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the seventh convocation, BelTA has learned.

Presenting the bill to the MPs, Justice Minister Oleg Slizhevsky noted that the bill was drafted to implement the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation. "The convention was signed by Belarus in August 2019. It is important as it consolidates the international legal mechanism for the recognition and execution of international mediation agreements. The business entities that have resolved a dispute using the mediation procedure will be able to enforce a settlement agreement in any state - party to the convention," he said.

The bill provides for the amendments to the Economic Procedures Code, the Tax Code, the law on mediation to incorporate the rules allowing to recognize and execute international mediation agreements.

“We believe that the status of Belarus as the initial signatory of the convention, as one of the first states to recognize it as binding and the country that has committed to introducing relevant amendment to the national legislation will contribute to the country's image as a state advocating the improvement of international regulation in international trade,” Oleg Slizhevsky said.

For Belarus, the convention will come into force on 15 January 2021. Irina Lukanskaya, a member of the Standing Commission on Legislation of the House of Representatives, noted that the main goal of the convention is to promote harmonious international economic relations, using mediation as a way to resolve international commercial dispute and to guarantee the possibility of enforcing settlement agreements reached through mediation.

"In order to incorporate in the national legislation the subject matter of the international settlement agreement, the grounds for recognition of international settlement agreements and grounds for refusal to enforce them, we are adjusting the Economic Procedures Code. We are also amending the taxation on income derived from a settlement agreement in order to formalize the issues of collecting the state fee for review of an application to issue a document to enforce an international settlement agreement,” Irina Lukanskaya said.

In addition, the mediation law is supplemented with the provisions defining an international settlement agreement and the provisions governing the order of recognition and enforcement of international settlement agreements. “It is also supplemented with a provision defining a separate settlement unit of a legal entity,” Irina Lukanskaya said.