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Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to the Republic of Korea Andrei Chernetsky together with his family took part in a tree planting campaign for heads of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Seoul, BelTA learned from the embassy.
The event was organized with the support of the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. The participants were greeted by officials and representatives of international organizations.
South Korea focused on the development of joint projects in forestry as one of the most favorable platforms to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Representatives of Belarus and Korea discussed the prospects of partnership in this area and expressed interest in further exchange of views.
Belarus' national report on fulfilling the Convention on Nuclear Safety met strong interest, Head of the Operational Safety Department of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) Diana Rakitskaya mentioned it in BelTA's press center.
Another cycle of the Convention on Nuclear Safety ended with a review meeting of the contracting parties to the convention in the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria in March 2023. Belarus began the cycle as a beginner country in the area of nuclear energy industry and finished it as a country with an operating unit of the nuclear power plant. During the meeting Belarus' national report on fulfilling the convention over the course of six years (from 2017 through 2022) was presented.
As many as 160 questions concerning Belarus' national report were submitted by other countries. Only leaders of the world nuclear energy industry received more questions. A huge number of the questions probed the current state of the first and second units of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, radiation protection, and safety priorities. Gosatomnadzor had teamed up with other government agencies and organizations to prepare a substantial answer to every question and provided all the relevant information. “We presented more detailed answers to the questions than other countries did,” Diana Rakitskaya pointed out.
Progress and results of evaluation missions and peer reviews, which took place in Belarus in the previous six years, also met strong interest. Among other things the questions focused on stress tests and results of fulfilling the national plan prompted by the stress tests. According to Diana Rakitskaya, Lithuania submitted a lot of clarification questions.
“Actually 160 is not the highest number. We received 239 questions last time,” Gosatomnadzor's consultant Oleg Sobolev noted. He also remarked that the attention of the meeting had been quite logically focused on beginner countries – Belarus and the United Arab Emirates. Strong interest was also attributed to the fact that the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was commissioned in the period under review.
The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus intends to advance cooperation with Skolkovo Foundation. The possibilities were discussed as Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Gusakov met with Skolkovo Foundation Chairman of the Board Igor Drozdov, BelTA has learned.
Vladimir Gusakov and Igor Drozdov discussed the spectrum of possible avenues of cooperation between the academy and the foundation as well as mechanisms for their realization. Vladimir Gusakov remarked that the academy puts special emphasis on advancing cooperation with Russian organizations. He said: “Today we actively cooperate with a number of scientific centers of the Russian Federation and regions. Russia is a priority for us. We should work together. But effectiveness is the key as our president underlines. We need benefits for the economies of the two countries. This is why we will support cooperation in a broad range.”
In turn, Skolkovo Foundation Chairman of the Board Igor Drozdov noted they are ready to cooperate actively in a number of areas but are particularly interested in microelectronics and unmanned aerial vehicles. The guests were made familiar with the latest R&D products on display as part of the permanent exhibition “Scientific achievements for the production sector”. While in Belarus the delegation is also expected to visit the academy's B.I. Stepanov Physics Institute and the Informatics Institute.
Skolkovo Foundation is a non-for-profit organization, which was founded in 2010 to act as the managing company of the Skolkovo Innovation Center. The foundation is intent on enabling conditions conducive to making innovations. Designers, engineers, businessmen and scientists work together with project participants to create world-class competitive science-intensive R&D products in five areas: nuclear technologies, space technologies and telecommunications, energy efficiency and energy saving, biomedical technologies, strategic computer technologies and software.
Results of the latest muster of territorial defense forces indicate the correctness of the chosen approaches, BelTA learned from Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, First Deputy Defense Minister of Belarus Viktor Gulevich.
Viktor Gulevich said: “The first stage of a muster of territorial defense forces and assets continues. Since various agencies get involved in these musters, one can say that virtually all kinds of defense, security, and law enforcement agencies of Belarus are covered. In the course of checking the Borisov District territorial defense staff we practiced mobilization, combat shakedown, and checked their training levels during a command and staff exercise through practical actions.”
The officer added that new approaches will undergo further practical evaluation this year. “In particular, actions of people's militia in small populated localities have been practiced. For now the results indicate the correctness of the chosen approaches,” Viktor Gulevich concluded.
An exercise designed to check the readiness of Minsk Oblast territorial defense has been in progress in Borisov District since 20 March under the guidance of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, First Deputy Defense Minister of Belarus Viktor Gulevich. State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Aleksandr Volfovich, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin, and Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee Aleksandr Turchin checked on the progress of the exercise. The formation of people's militia, guarding and defense of various facilities by territorial defense forces were practiced during the exercise.
Prospects for cooperation in baby nutrition were discussed in a meeting between Grodno Oblast senior officials and a delegation of Zimbabwe headed by First Lady of Zimbabwe Auxillia Mnangagwa, BelTA has learned.
"We discussed various options for cooperation between Grodno Oblast and Zimbabwe. Mrs Auxillia Mnangagwa pays a lot of attention to the health of women and the organization of children's health. This means good nutrition and access to medical care. Therefore, the production of baby food is, probably, one of the priorities of her visit," Grodno Oblast governor Vladimir Karanik said.
Commenting on the possibilities of cooperation, he said that "at the first stage, it can be the supply of ready-made baby food with the subsequent transfer of some technological operations to Zimbabwe and then the building of a full-fledged manufacturing facility."
"We can fully satisfy Zimbabwe's needs in baby food. The capacities of Bellakt are enough for that. Given the geographical location of Zimbabwe, active interaction with its neighbors, it is proposed to consider the possibility of joint production, which will cover not only the needs of Zimbabwe, but also other African countries. Of course, this project requires elaboration, analysis of both the raw material zone and its economic efficiency. I know that there will be an exhibition in Zimbabwe, where representatives of Bellakt plan to take part. This event will help the Belarusian company to continue the negotiations. I am sure that Bellakt products will be present in Zimbabwe. The timeframe and the form (as a finished product supplied from Volkovysk, or as a product manufactured in Zimbabwe using our company's technology) is a matter of negotiation and time,” Vladimir Karanik said.
In turn, Auxillia Mnangagwa said that she was impressed with her visit to Bellakt. “I am very glad I have visited the company. We learned that the company produces baby food for children from 0 to 3 years old. We want to establish cooperation with the company to consider the expansion of its production, and launching its production in Zimbabwe. This would contribute to the development of our country,” she said.
“Zimbabwe is located in the center of the Southern African region. The countries around us could also benefit from such cooperation. Both mothers and women in our country would also welcome such cooperation. It is very important when a child's health can be ensured from the earliest days,” she said.
The Dnieper River in Gomel Oblast overflowed its banks. Many houses and land plots remain flooded in the region.
Photos by Sergei Kholodilin
A delegation of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry is in Zimbabwe on a visit, the ministry told BelTA.
The delegation is led by Head of the Civil Protection University of the Emergencies Ministry Ivan Polevoda. The delegation head noted that the visit would contribute to the establishment of partnership relations. Apart from that, it offers an opportunity to discuss prospects of development of Belarus-Zimbabwe cooperation in matters concerning the training of Zimbabwean specialists. Material and technical resources available to firefighting units as well as supplies of individual protection gear, vehicles, and equipment to Zimbabwean rescue workers will also be an important topic for discussion.
Representatives of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry presented the training programs the Belarusian university can use to train Zimbabwean firefighters. Attention was drawn to improved firefighting suits, a suit for rescue and emergency response operations, a helmet, and individual protection gear for arms and legs.
As he presented the products of the Fire Safety and Emergency Problems Institute, the head of the institute Sergei Shumai stressed that the research division is constantly on the lookout for cutting-edge products and analyzes the world's best products. It allows making the gear of Belarusian rescue workers in compliance with all the world standards while improving its protective qualities.
According to Zimbabwean Deputy Local Government and Public Works Minister Marian Chombo, local firefighting units are interested in tapping into the Belarusian firefighter training experience. Apart from that, Zimbabwe is also interested in using firefighting suits, gear, and equipment of Belarusian make.
Apart from that, during the meeting the sides discussed interaction in setting up a firefighting personnel training center in Zimbabwe and in providing assistance with reequipping Zimbabwean firefighting units with firefighting suits and gear of Belarusian make.
The majority of Belarusians feel safe on the streets and in public places, Nikolai Sukhotsky, Deputy Director for Science and Innovations at the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, said as he cited findings of a telephone poll in an interview with a BelTA correspondent.
The Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus conducted a telephone interview survey “Public opinion on issues of wide concern”. The poll was running from 8 to 22 February and covered 900 people.
Pollsters asked if respondents feel safe on the streets of their community.
The answers were the following: 66.6% of respondents answered “Yes, always”, 26.1% said “Yes, as a rule”, 3.9% responded “Usually not”, 2% said “No, never”, 1.4% of respondents found it difficult to answer.
The respondents were also asked if they feel safe in public places.
The answers were the following: 65% of respondents answered “Yes, always”, 26.6% said “Yes, as a rule”, 3.5% responded “Usually not”, 1,7% said “No, never”, 3,2% of respondents found it difficult to answer.
“These results suggest that we have a high level of public order in the country, which is due to the professional work of law enforcement, the absence of precedents or threats to health and property. I believe that willingness to abide by the law demonstrated by the majority of the population also plays an important role. Thus, the assessments of the level of safety at home, on the streets and in public places are pretty much the same. This suggests that the country has achieved an unprecedented level of national security, which gives people the feeling of safety in everyday life,” said Nikolai Sukhotsky.
“At the same time, there is always a small share of people who are wary of their safety due to their mental constitution, negative experience, a certain perception of negative news, and this does not necessarily have to do with our country. People can project all this onto themselves. You cannot change people's nature. There will always be people who will feel safer at home than in a public place, for example. This is their state of mind. Some people just feel uncomfortable in public places,” he added.
The programs of the Union State have two customers – Belarus and Russia, Head of the Minsk Office of the Standing Committee of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Marianna Shchetkina told BelTA.
“The Union State has certain development targets. They are fine-tuned and they are achieved through implementing the Union State programs. Now there are 28 of them. I think that their number will grow. We will see what the results will be. I think they will be published following the recent Union State Council of Ministers meeting. But we have heard that the presidents have said that the degree of their implementation stands at over 80%. And these are key areas, like energy, manufacturing, agriculture, transport, communications. And this is what the governments of our states are working on. They are responsible for the implementation of these Union State programs,” said Marianna Shchetkina.
According to her, the 2023 budget of the Union State is estimated at almost RUB6 billion. “To be precise, RUB5.966 billion. This money is meant for implementing the tasks stipulated by the Union State Treaty. These tasks imply programs, projects and activities,” she specified. “I have named the budget size, but you need to understand that the budget is formed mainly through contributions. Our presidents have repeatedly urged to put forward meaningful programs that will push forward our development, and these contributions can be augmented if necessary. Money should work. This should benefit the two states equally, because the programs of the Union State have two customers - representatives of Russia and Belarus” she added.
Belarus' Ambassador to Russia Dmitry Krutoi spoke to the media about the progress made in the implementation of 28 Union State programs ahead of the celebrations to mark the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Belarus and Russia in Moscow on 2 April, BelTA has learned.
“All sectors are important, significant and of top priority. However, as for the results achieved so far, the most important of them are probably the signing of the tax agreement, the establishment of our supranational tax committee, the finalization of the information system for monitoring indirect taxes and its launching in late January 2023. The governments of the two countries admit that this has been our main achievement recently. Probably, the second most important result is, of course, the customs roadmap,” Dmitry Krutoi said.
According to him, the supranational customs committee is already actively involved in the work, monitoring the movement of all goods that are most significant in terms of countering the sanctions. “Therefore, these two roadmaps - tax and customs - are the main ones. If we talk about the current ones, the most important are the industrial roadmap and probably the transport roadmap,” the ambassador said.
“We have ambitious plans and we are not only fighting the sanctions but we are also winning. Today, we do not pay attention to them at all. We are developing at an accelerated pace, even exceeding the tasks we set forth for ourselves,” Dmitry Krutoi added.
In his words, the presidents of Belarus and Russia are expected to hear the results of the implementation of 28 Union State programs at the upcoming meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. “Our 28 Union State programs, which everyone is talking about, will be heard in detail in just a few days. Some of them have already been fully implemented. Some need more fine-tuning and instructions from the presidents of our countries,” the ambassador said.
