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Sri Lanka's delegation, led by Minister of Transport and Highways Bandula Gunawardana, has come to Belarus on a working visit, BelTA has learned.
The Sri Lankan delegation also comprises Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia with concurrent accreditation to Belarus, Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Minsk Dmitry Ruzanov.
Bandula Gunawardana met with the Belarusian deputy industry minister, heads of the country's leading transport companies: MAZ, Amkodor and Belkommunmash. The Sri Lankan delegation got familiar with the production line and held technical and commercial negotiations.
Bandula Gunawardana said during the negotiations that his country decided to abandon the use of diesel engines, adding that such vehicles would no longer be imported into the country. Sri Lanka wants to preserve the nature of the island, so it has decided to actively develop a green economy. In Belarus the minister of transport and highways of Sri Lanka expressed his interest in buying Belarusian electric transport and road machinery.
“Agreements have been reached on cooperation in transport production. There are plans to sign agreements between the relevant departments of the two countries,” Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka in Minsk Dmitry Ruzanov told BelTA.
The program of the visit will also include negotiations at the National Center for Marketing and Price Study and the Transport and Communications Ministry, the visit of the Sri Lankan delegation to the Belarusian State University of Transport in Gomel, where agreements on cooperation are expected to be signed between the Belarusian and Lankan transport universities.
The Belarusian president's annual Address to the Belarusian People and the Parliament is a vision of the future, Director of the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research (BISR) Oleg Makarov told the media, BelTA has learned.
“It is difficult to foresee or speak of any expectations. It is clear that there are a number of economy and development-related issues, set by the head of state at the recent outcome meeting of the Council of Ministers. These are the topics of Belarus' economic development, new vectors, new markets, and the social sector. This is the priority for our country, the priority for the president of Belarus. We expect from his every address a vision of the future, of how we should live further,” Oleg Makarov said.
According to him, the president's annual address is of crucial importance for the Belarusian people and the Parliament. “We then follow along with this plan,” the BISR director said.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is set to deliver his annual Address to the Belarusian people and the Parliament on 31 March. The event will take place in the Palace of the Republic. Among those invited to attend the event are members of the parliament, delegations from the oblasts and the city of Minsk, top-ranking government officials, members of the central government, heads of government agencies and mass media, representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations, heads of religious denominations, former MPs, representatives of the real sector of the economy, young Belarusians, representatives of the civil society, and reporters. Over 2,500 people are expected to be present at the Palace of the Republic during the president's annual address.
Cooperation between young scientists of Belarus and Russia will help achieve breakthrough results, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Gusakov said on the sidelines of the Congress of Young Scientists of Belarus and Russia, BelTA has learned.
The decision to hold the congress was taken by the presidents of Belarus and Russia in December 2022. It is timed to the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Belarus and Russia. “Cooperation between scientists of our countries is of particular importance since we have similar tasks, we have no contradictions, we are united in our approaches and aspirations. We should not lag behind the world trends in science. This is very important for the sustainable future of the country, the development of the economy and society. Of course, it is up to young people,” Vladimir Gusakov said.
The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus takes a number of measures to support young scientists, including the organization of various competitions. “We do our best to involve young people in science, get them interested, so that young people show outstanding, breakthrough results. If we do it together with Russia, which has powerful multipurpose science, we will be able to achieve much more. We have serious tasks in microelectronics, new materials, artificial intelligence, synthesis of medications, new methods of treatment, biotechnology, agricultural science and humanities,” the chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences said.
The congress is attended by young researchers from scientific organizations and higher educational institutions of the two countries. There are representatives of the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center and the Russian Academy of Sciences, including the St. Petersburg Scientific Center and the Siberian and Far Eastern Departments.
The congress program on 28 March includes sectional meetings at the organizations of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The main topics comprise physics and artificial intelligence, engineering and industry, chemistry and environmental management, modern biotechnology, medicine and pharmaceutics, innovations for agriculture, humanities as the basis of national security.
The plenary session “Young scientists: tasks and areas of cooperation for developing a single scientific and technological space between Belarus and Russia” is scheduled for 29 March. Reports on priority directions of international scientific and technical cooperation between young scientists of the two countries will be presented there.
The inauguration of a branch of Russia's Kurchatov Institute National Research Center on the basis of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus will take place as part of the congress.
Congress participants will visit a number of research organizations of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. The cultural program will include tours around the historical and cultural heritage of Belarus.
More than 50,000 people attended the 30th edition of Minsk International Book Fair that was held on 22-26 March under the “World of Books Without Borders” slogan, Executive Director of the Book Fair Dmitry Makarov said at the closing ceremony on 26 March, BelTA has learned.
“I am happy to take stock of our joint activities over these past few days, the work of publishers, writers, and readers,” Belarusian Deputy Information Minister Igor Buzovsky said. “Our anniversary Minsk International Book Fair is drawing to a close, and it is encouraging to note that it took place the way we had intended. We have brought together 20 countries amid this challenging COVID-19 and geopolitical time,” he said.
According to Igor Buzovsky, a large representation at the exhibition was from the guest of honor, the Russian Federation. “It gave a worthy presentation of its publishing houses and books, which are the pride of both our exhibition and Russia,” he said.
The deputy information minister stressed that a lot of positive feedback was received following online presentations. “I hope that the writers, the people who worked on this stage for the visitors will be satisfied with the work organized during these days,” he said.
Publishing and printing professionals agreed to new relationships for the coming period. Some agreements were put into practice during the exhibition, said Igor Buzovsky.
He wished the participants to work together productively for the benefit of Belarus and the countries participating in the Minsk International Book Fair. “I am sure that the next year will be filled with new ideas and new thoughts for us. The exhibition is a platform of peace and friendliness. We will look for any communication that will let us implement new book projects for peace and creation,” the deputy information minister concluded.
The participants of the exhibition were awarded certificates of appreciation during the closing ceremony.
The Belarusian delegation added an item dedicated to the topic "80 years of the Khatyn tragedy” to the agenda of the OSCE Permanent Council meeting, and the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the OSCE Andrei Dapkiunas made a statement in connection with this tragic date on 23 March, BelTA learned from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Belarus to the OSCE.
"Why does the Permanent Council need historical agenda items?” Andrei Dapkiunas asked rhetorically. “A nation who has forgotten their history is doomed to repeat it again. We remember the history not only as a tribute to bygone generations. We must remember it as much as a lesson and a warning to the living. We would like to recall a tragic event, the root causes of which, unfortunately, remain relevant today.”
Eighty years ago, on 22 March 1943, a small Belarusian village was destroyed. It wasn't just that houses were destroyed and residents expelled. Everything was done to make sure no trace was left of this place, of the people who lived there, worked, married, were born and died for many generations there. Everyone was herded into a large barn and set on fire. Those who tried to escape were finished off with machine guns. Neither women, nor old people, or small children were spared. No one had a chance to survive. This is the history of the Belarusian Khatyn.
"In Belarus there are dozens and hundreds of villages that shared the same terrible fate, that never returned back to life again. This is the history of the genocide of the Belarusian people," the Permanent Representative continued. “It is important to remember and understand: that was not the blind execution of a criminal order. No. Those who did this proceeded from their own convictions that they needed to act that way: as cruelly as possible, without showing the slightest mercy, without regret and doubt, based on a sense of their own superiority and exclusivity. That was what the criminal Nazi ideology told them to do. That was the essence of the atrocity."
Andrei Dapkiunas stated that, unfortunately, this inhumane crime did not remain confined to history books. "In recent decades, it has become more convenient to keep silent, to turn a blind eye to the increasingly frequent manifestations of misanthropic ideology, which at first seem to be harmless deviations from the liberal mainstream, an aberration of the dominant political course. Then, when the new adherents of Nazi ideology, having thrown off their masks and firmly on their feet, turn from yesterday's marginals from the political periphery into tone-setting leaders, it will be too late to treat the ‘"disease', to eradicate its symptoms. The catastrophe will become inevitable," Andrei Dapkiunas emphasized.
“Looking around us, we see that the European history is gradually entering a new vicious circle. Some 10 or 15 years ago, it seemed unthinkable. Many thought that in the 21st century the history would end and that there would come a time of eternal peace and prosperity. Although not for everyone, but for those who deserve it more, those who were born in the right place and at the right time," the Belarusian diplomat continued. “Blind faith in the exclusivity and total superiority of the flowering garden and the shining city on the hill, reliably fenced off from the surrounding wild jungle, the hope for the inviolability of the world order based on rules, not on law… Well, this is the starting point for another Khatyn tragedy. The interwar history of Europe speaks volumes about this."
“If you do not realize this now and do not come to your senses, then the history of our once cozy and comfortable continent can really end. But it will definitely end forever then. We urge you to remember that,” Andrei Dapkiunas said.
Head of the Belarus President Administration Igor Sergeyenko talked to reporters during a tour of Smorgon Assembly Plant. Among other things he emphasized the importance of training personnel for various economy branches, including the manufacturing sector, BelTA has learned.
Igor Sergeyenko said: “This enterprise uses a good way of HR management – mentoring. Young guys come here after graduating from vocational schools or even without serious training. Specialists are assigned to mentor them in exchange for extra pay. A young person, who works alongside an experienced specialist at the assembly line, gradually comes to understand the essence of the work and hones professional skills.”
A potential increase in the enterprise's output will require a higher number of workers. “Encouraging young personnel to keep working at the enterprise is an important task. The necessary conditions should be enabled for it. Those are housing, comfortable living conditions, good salaries. Those are the material part. But there is also another part – a creative atmosphere in the worker collective. Specialists need opportunities for self-realization,” the head of the Belarus President Administration remarked. Igor Sergeyenko added that as far as the continued employment of pedagogues is concerned, Smorgon Oblast boasts one of Grodno Oblast's highest figures – 89%.
“Management of human resources is important at every stage. Including management of young specialists or people, who become professionals and executives. It is necessary to gradually teach them, raise them so that they could do serious jobs in the administrative apparatus, in various structures of the manufacturing sector, in the social sphere,” Igor Sergeyenko concluded.
The Minsk Oblast Executive Committee has hosted a meeting between Minsk Oblast First Deputy Governor Sergei Levkovich and a delegation from Leningrad Oblast, BelTA learned from the press service of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee.
The Russian delegation was headed by Oleg Malashchenko, Deputy Chairman of the Leningrad Oblast Government, Chairman of the Committee for Agro-Industrial Complex and Fisheries.
As Sergei Levkovich noted, this meeting can be called a meeting of true friends. After all, a delegation from Minsk Oblast has recently visited Leningrad Oblast. Sergei Levkovich emphasized that the interaction will continue and all the agreements reached during the visit to Leningrad Oblast will be implemented. In turn, Oleg Malashchenko noted that it is necessary to step up interaction between the two major regions of Russia and Belarus.
At the end of the meeting they exchanged souvenirs.
Winning entries of the nationwide art competition Khatyn Through the Eyes of Children went on display at the Stolitsa Mall in Minsk on 20 March. The patriotic project was initiated by the BRSM Youth Union in early March and was held in three rounds - district, regional and national ones. The official opening ceremony was followed by the award ceremony of the winners of the competition.
Director of the National Research Center Cardiology Natalya Mitkovskaya told the STV TV channel about the achievements of Belarusian doctors, BelTA informs.
“Belarusian cardiac surgeons broke into the global transplantation scene. At the moment we are among the top 10 countries of the world in this field, and we are ahead of other former Soviet nations. And this, of course, wins us a lot of respect among professionals from other countries,” said Natalya Mitkovskaya.
She drew attention to very good patient survival rates. “Currently, we are at the stage when we are expanding the range of recipients, that is, people who undergo this surgery. We take patients with a serious condition and at a very high risk of postoperative complications, those patients whose death rate is estimated at 20-30% even at the world's best heart transplant centers. We have recently celebrated a remarkable achievement - we were able to help a 9-year-old girl whose condition deteriorated very fast and very dramatically. We had to take her to the operating table urgently. There were many issues during the postoperative period. We received a lot of help from our colleagues - infectious disease specialists, epidemiologists, microbiologists, pediatricians. However, everything ended well, the girl was discharged from hospital,” the director of the health facility noted.
According to her, the waiting list for urgent cardiac surgery in Belarus is about 1.5-2 months. “This is an optimal workload for cardiac surgery to work uninterruptedly. The only field of cardiology where we still have a rather big waiting list is treatment of patients suffering from rhythm disorders. There are about 600 people on the list - this amounts to a year of work. Yet, I must emphasize: our specialists now work so hard that we expect to handle this queue much faster,” added Natalya Mitkovskaya.
Single-family homes may constitute over 40% of the total volume of housing to be commissioned in Belarus this year. Belarusian First Deputy Architecture and Construction Minister Oleg Shvets made the statement as he visited a wooden house sale venue in Minsk, BelTA has learned.
2022 saw a total of 4.2 million m2 of housing built in Belarus. Single-family homes amounted to about 1.78 million m2. “This year we intend to commission 4.3 million m2 of housing in Belarus in 2023. We expect single-family housing to be close to 1.8 million m2 or 40-50% of the total housing commissioned across the country. If programs on loans for building wooden houses gain traction, demand for single-family home construction will rise,” the official said.
Every oblast presented their own wooden house options at a site located at 52 Logoisky Road, Minsk. Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko took a look at the samples on display and set tasks for the civil engineering industry.
According to Oleg Shvets, wood is the most environmentally friendly option for home construction. “Nothing is probably better than wood today. We've passed a number of regulatory acts that will allow people to make what they want. They can order a prefabricated house and resolve the problem of home construction completely. If rural Belarusians need such a house built, there are certain preferences and bank loans for people on the housing register. It will allow people to make a home of their dreams in the end,” the official concluded.
