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Following a meeting of the National Security Commission on 27 October, Lithuanian authorities announced that the country will close its border with Belarus indefinitely, though certain exceptions will apply, Lithuanian media reported.The final decision on the indefinite closure of the border with Belarus is planned for 29 October. “The government will convene for a meeting on Wednesday. We are ready to make a decision on the indefinite closure of the border with Belarus, with some exceptions,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė told journalists.According to her, the restrictions will not apply to diplomats and diplomatic bags. Furthermore, citizens of Lithuania and European Union countries will be permitted to enter. All other traffic will be halted.Inga Ruginienė also stated at a press conference that Lithuania is “actively consulting and communicating with its allies and neighbors Poland and Latvia” on this matter.On Sunday, 26 October, Lithuania closed the two operational border checkpoints with Belarus Medininkai and Šalčininkai. Prior to this, on 22 October, the Belarusian-Lithuanian border was closed by the Lithuanian side for six hours, and on 25 October – from midnight until noon. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda proposed a long-term closure of the border with Belarus and restrictions on transit to Kaliningrad. Today, on 27 October, this issue was discussed at a meeting of the governmental National Security Commission, chaired by Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė.
The State Customs Committee of Belarus has commented: “Each time, the Lithuanian authorities do this [close the border] without prior warning, leaving drivers of passenger cars stranded at the checkpoints. This leaves people confused and unsure of their next steps. The temporary closure is less critical for truck drivers, considering that the Lithuanians are already working at a pace ten times slower than their potential.”
The Belarusian air carrier Belavia has resumed its flight program to Oman. The first flight of the season from the Belarusian capital to Salalah was given a ceremonial send-off at Minsk National Airport, complete with a photo zone and refreshments for passengers, BelTA has learned.The program will continue until the end of May 2026. The flight duration is approximately 7 hours, and the available tours are designed for 9-11 nights. The base aircraft type is Boeing 737-8.
The aircraft in its cornflower-blue livery departs for Salalah at 22.40 and will deliver tourists to their vacation spot in the "Caribbean of the East" by tomorrow. The airport senior officials will greet the flight upon arrival in Oman. National sweets, coffee, and flowers have been prepared for the travelers.
“The first flight was sold out. Direct air communication between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Belarus is an important step towards strengthening strategic partnership, and economic, tourist, and cultural ties,” stated Yekaterina Radishevskaya, Head of Marketing and Foreign Economic Activity at Belavia.
The route is popular among Belarusians, partly due to the joint decision to ease visa requirements. Tourists are attracted by the magnificent beaches with crystal-clear water.
mong the first to check in for the flight was Yana Asipovich. She is traveling on vacation with her two children aged 12 and 8, her husband and mother. "A direct flight is very convenient. With children, it's a priority: we board in Minsk and disembark at our destination. We haven't been to Oman before. These are unplanned holidays. The five of us are traveling together. It's always pleasant to have time off and relax and it doesn’t matter whether it is abroad or in Belarus. We expect to gain new experiences. We haven't planned any excursions yet, but if something catches our interest, we will definitely go and check out,” the tourist noted.
The family of Tatiana and Michele Poma is also going on a vacation on the pristine white beaches of an Omani resort. The trip is a gift from the husband to his wife for her birthday. Michele Poma is a musician, composer, singer, and president of the cultural association International Italian Festivals.
“Oman is something new for us. We decided to give it a try. We are counting on a pleasant vacation. We want to travel around and see what's there. I am from Vitebsk myself, and my husband is from Italy. Michele is an official partner of the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk. We fly to festivals often, we explore. We live on airplanes," Tatiana noted with a touch of humor. "We are frequent guests in Belarus.”
Traveling to Oman with her sister and daughter is Irina Martyanova. "When I found out that the first flight was opening, I booked a trip. The country is washed by the Arabian Sea. That's the Indian Ocean. It's not just desert, but also green oases. We didn't think long. Visas were waived and it it is a big advantage. There's a direct flight. That's great. I hope new destinations will continue to open up. If we like it, we'll go again," the woman said.
The airline launched its first charter flight to Salalah on 27 February 2025. This new route was launched as a result of highest-level agreements between Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. Until recently, Belarusians could only reach Oman with layovers in third countries. The launch of this direct flight has significantly simplified travel logistics.
In early October, a decision was made to move a new step and sign an agreement on the mutual abolition of visas. The airline is confident that this will have a beneficial effect on increasing tourist flows and the number of flights.
The consolidator of the charter flight is the Intercity tour operator. The approximate cost of a tour package for two is around $2,500.
Oman can still be considered a new tourist destination in the Belarusian market. It is called the “Caribbean of the East”. It is very comfortable to vacation here both in summer and winter. The city of Salalah is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Since ancient times, the country has been famous for its strong black coffee, often served with cardamom or a drop of rose water.Belavia will launch flights to Sri Lanka in a few days and to Thailand in January.
Pinsk will host a meeting of the сommission on youth policy, sports and tourism of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia on 30 October, the Parliamentary Assembly’s press service told BelTA.
“The participants will review measures to develop cooperation between Belarus and Russia in tourism within the framework of the Union State, using the tourism potential of the city of Pinsk and Pinsk District, Brest Oblast as an example,” the press service said.
Parliamentarians will also discuss the drafting of a strategy for the medium-term development of the youth policy of the Union State and implementation of the roadmap of Belarusian government bodies, Russian federal executive authorities, and national public associations of the two countries in the youth policy for 2025-2027.
The meeting will take stock of the 18th Youth for the Union State festival and the Union State youth forum The Role of Youth in Preserving and Protecting Historical Memory held in 2025.
Representatives of the Standing Committee of the Union State, the Education Ministry and the Sport and Tourism Ministry of Belarus, the Economic Development Ministry and the Sport Ministry of Russia, the National Tourism Agency of Belarus, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs of Russia, and the leadership of the Pinsk District Executive Committee are invited to participate in the event.
The experience of the National Statistical Committee of Belarus in preparing for the 2030 round of population censuses was presented at a conference of statistics services of the CIS states in Moscow, the press service of Belarus’ National Statistical Committee told BelTA.
A conference of specialists from the national statistics services of the CIS member states is taking place in Moscow to discuss “Preparation for the 2030 round of population censuses in the CIS region”. The event has been organized by the CIS Statistical Committee with the support of the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation and has brought together representatives of national statistics services of the Commonwealth countries as well as experts from international organizations. The Republic of Belarus is represented at the conference by a delegation from Belarus’ National Statistical Committee led by Deputy Chairwoman Zhanna Vasilevskaya.
Belarusian statisticians presented their experience and conclusions from the 2019 population census as well as approaches to the digital transformation of statistics processes in preparation for the 2029 population census.
In her speech Zhanna Vasilevskaya noted the successful experience of conducting the 2019 census: “The experience we gained during the preparations for and the actual 2019 population census allows us to apply the knowledge we have gained for the sake of optimizing processes and improving the efficiency of preparing for the next census. Preparations for the 2030 round of the population census already include improving the legislative framework, introducing modern digital solutions, expanding the use of administrative data sources, developing an online census, and applying artificial intelligence technologies to automate information processing and analysis.”
Irina Bichan, Head of the Central Office for Demographic Statistics and Population Census, gave a presentation titled as “The 2030 round of the population census in the Republic of Belarus: On the way to digital transformation.”
The Belarusian experience attracted the interest of the conference participants as an example of a systematic approach to the digitization of national statistics and preparation for the new round of censuses.
The actions by the collective West reflect panic and fear in the face of a new world, economist and analyst Serghei Banari said in a new episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA's YouTube channel.
According to the analyst, all the actions taken today by the collective West, led by the Anglo-Saxons, indicate panic and fear in the face of a new world.
“The world is no longer mono-centric. There is no single center in London dictating its agenda to Moscow, Beijing, Washington, Delhi, and so on,” Serghei Banari said. “Today's intellectual, political, and expert communities of the Anglo-Saxon world have significantly diminished in stature. It no longer produces meaning or personalities. It no longer produces those who are ready to lead.”
The military agencies of Belarus and Vietnam have discussed matters of military-technical cooperation and strengthening ties during an official visit of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces – Belarusian First Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Muraveiko to Vietnam, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Defense Ministry.
Pavel Muraveiko held negotiations with Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Nguyen Tan Cuong. During the meeting, the parties discussed the international agenda and detailed their military cooperation in areas of mutual interest, stressing the need to elevate their interaction to a qualitatively new level: a strategic partnership.
The head of the Belarusian military delegation also met with Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang. The parties confirmed their interest in strengthening close ties. A wide range of issues were discussed, including military, military-technical, trade and economic cooperation.
Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its deep condolences over the death of RIA Novosti correspondent Ivan Zuev, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.
"The death of a journalist who was performing his professional duty in a conflict zone is a stark reminder of the high risks faced by media representatives in conflict areas," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted.
The ministry recalled that international humanitarian law explicitly stipulates that journalists reporting in situations of armed conflict are considered civilians and are not legitimate military targets. An attack on them constitutes a war crime.
"Cases of attacks on media representatives, who are marked in accordance with international standards, demand the most decisive response and effective measures from appropriate international organizations,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized.
The ministry also extended sincere wishes for a speedy recovery to cameraman Yuri Voitkevich, who was injured in the same attack.
Belarus has achieved one of Europe’s and the world’s lowest infant mortality rates, Dmitry Lazar, Deputy Head of the Directorate for Medical Care Provision – Head of the Department of Medical Care for Mothers and Children at the Healthcare Ministry, told BelTA’s Nation Speaks project.
“The maternal mortality rate currently does not exceed 1.5 cases per 100,000 live births. In 1993, that figure stood at 20.4. This represents a dramatic improvement from 1993, when the rate was 20.4. Such progress positions Belarus among leading nations like Israel, Poland, and Finland. Furthermore, we also maintain one of the lowest infant mortality rates globally. The 2024 rate of 2.9 per 1,000 live births comes in below the global average of 3 per 1,000. We have kept it below the global average for many years already,” the healthcare official said.
He explained that each case of maternal or infant death is reviewed by treatment control councils at both the regional and national levels. “Problems are always identified and resolved immediately. We monitor severe cases daily; I personally track every case when a child gets in intensive care in critical condition, and a team is dispatched there immediately. We work closely with the regions. The healthcare system has a multi-tier structure: The National Research and Treatment Center Mother and Child serves as the fourth, top tier. The third tier consists of regional healthcare facilities, while the first tier comprises district hospitals. A system of inter-district centers constitutes the second tier, creating a comprehensive network. In Minsk Oblast, for example, these centers are in Soligorsk, Molodechno, and Borisov. By concentrating top-notch equipment and highly qualified specialists at these centers, we ensure that critically ill patients are directed to the appropriate facility and receive the care they need.”
Belarus’ profitability of sold goods, works and services amounted to 8.4% in January-August 2025, return on sales – 6.9%, BelTA learned from the National Statistical Committee of Belarus.
As of 1 September 2025, accounts receivable amounted to Br96.9 billion, including overdue – Br10.8 billion, or 11.2% of total accounts receivable.
Accounts payable amounted to Br115.4 billion, including Br12.4 billion overdue, or 10.8% of the total accounts payable.
Data on financial performance of organizations are given without banks, non-bank credit and financial institutions, the Development Bank, insurance organizations, budget organizations, and small organizations without departmental subordination.
There is a significant opportunity for a breakthrough in relations between Belarus and the United States, while Belarus is equally open to rebuilding relations with Western Europe, Belarusian KGB Chairman Ivan Tertel told journalists following the meeting with the head of state to discuss the global situation and relations with the United States, BelTA reports.
“We have every chance of achieving a breakthrough in relations with the United States. Belarus also remains open to forging closer ties with Western Europe. I believe we will hear good news on this front soon,” he informed.
Ivan Tertel emphasized that Belarus is committed to dialogue and the search for mutually acceptable solutions that respect national interests. “We have developed our proposals and our negotiating position, and we have already reached a consensus with the American side on a number of issues,” he said. “However, our partners must understand that there are national interests we will always consider and pursue, the same way as the Americans do. This is a practical, rational approach to the negotiation process, one that takes into account exclusively our national interests.”
“There are certain issues that still require discussion. When we reach an understanding that our positions have moved closer, we are always ready to meet and to discuss sensitive issues. This dialogue is ongoing; we are engaged in it, discussing various aspects every day,” the KGB chief noted.
He explained that the head of state is deeply involved in this agenda, working on it practically every day. It is also important that U.S. President Donald Trump, who has done much for the peace process in the Middle East, has a profound understanding of the issue and is deeply involved in the Ukraine agenda. “I am convinced that this will ultimately serve as a very important step toward resolving this conflict,” said Ivan Tertel.
