Krupsky district executive committee

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko evaluated the operation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and noted with regret that the commonwealth is losing its meaning as a platform for the resolution of important issues in an interview with the TV and Radio Company Mir, BelTA informs.

“National egoism, as Putin says, has got the best of everybody, including Russia, in recent time,” the Belarusian leader said. “We are virtually torn apart.”

“Countries of Central Asia, no matter how much we boast and rejoice, are now looking at strong China. This country helps a lot and behaves in a polite and decent fashion,” the president continued. “China can help through investments and is helping with millions of dollars.”

According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the CIS platform is generally used for meetings of the presidents, for adopting statements. “Yes, there is a kind of a free trade zone. But you know what freedom we have here – with exemptions, even in the EAEU, let alone the CIS. What is left? Not a whole lot,” the head of state remarked.

As for the possibility of Ukraine's returning to work in the CIS, the Belarusian president believes it is quite unlikely in the near future. “In our time, Volodya, [Director of the Office of the Interstate TV and Radio Company Mir in Belarus Vladimir Pertsov] it is impossible,” Aleksandr Lukashenko told the interviewer. “Ukraine will not return to the CIS in this period.”

According to the Belarusian head of state, Ukraine is interested in the rapprochement with the European Union, NATO, and the United States, and it will be difficult to change the situation. “The main thing is that today there are no trends of turning to our unions in Ukraine. Moreover, they see what is going on in these unions, including in the union of Belarus and Russia. Many people tell me: if you, Belarusians and Russians, two peoples with almost the same roots, cannot do it, why should we do it. This especially pertains to Muslim countries. And Ukrainian politicians are thinking the same way,” the president remarked.

“They have already cast in their lot with a different vector. It will be difficult to turn to the other side,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added. “Perhaps, something will happen over time. But in the relations with Ukraine time is not working for us – not for Russia and Belarus. In all likelihood, time is working for that side.”

China's President Xi Jinping on Saturday attended the national mourning period for martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak and compatriots who died of the novel coronavirus pneumonia.

With the current favorable weather conditions we need to accelerate the spring sowing campaign, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during his working visit to Smolevichi District, Minsk Oblast on 3 April, BelTA has learned.

The global situation requires Belarus to mobilize its efforts and be ready for a prompt response to challenges, Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova said at the opening of the spring session of the upper house of the Belarusian parliament on 2 April, BelTA has learned.

Face masks made in Belarus are meant for the domestic market. The number one task is to meet Belarus' own needs, head of the domestic market and exhibitions departments of the Belarusian state light industry concern Bellegprom Svetlana Kakhro said at a regular meeting of the Expert Community project “Light Industry of Belarus: Challenges and Risks” in BelTA's press center on 1 April.

The Bellegprom representative commented on a possibility to export medical masks. “Our task is to meet our own needs, so that people will be able to buy masks in state-run and private pharmacies. This is our priority now,” she emphasized.

Svetlana Kakhro added that private companies also got involved. “These are the companies with underutilized capacities that have sewing equipment and staff. We help them launch production of face masks,” she said.

Gauze for face masks is made by the Baranovichi Cotton Production Association (Blakit), bandages are produced by Mogilev-based Lenta. Blakit has increased gauze production 2.5 times. The company also launched the production of fabric that can be used instead of gauze due to special treatment.

Some of companies affiliated with Bellegprom were repurposed to produce face masks. The output is growing and now it stands at 300,000 items a day. Last week Grodno-based MedLen rolled out disposable mask filters made of cotton and linen to enhance the protective properties of medical masks. At the same time, Bellegprom points out that it is not overfocused on mask production; the concern's product assortment remains the same.

The developments on the global market could not but have an impact on the Belarusian light industry concern. The whole situation is rather stressful for the concern, however, the concern believes that the domestic economy and consumers can benefit from it in some way. For example, domestic companies will be able to increase their market share on the domestic market, which will contribute to the country's import substitution effort.

A reminder, in order to supply Belarusian pharmacies with as many medical masks as needed, Bellegprom decided to temporarily repurpose some of its companies in order to increase the output of medical products. Now face masks will be made by 15 companies. The aggregate daily output is to be 550,000 masks.

The situation in Vitebsk Oblast is absolutely manageable, medics understand what needs to be done, BelTA learned from Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova on 31 March.

The head of the upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament visited Vitebsk Oblast the other day upon instructions of the head of state in order to find out the state of affairs in the region. Healthcare Minister Vladimir Karanik is also in Vitebsk. “The situation is absolutely manageable. Medics understand what needs to be done,” Natalya Kochanova said. “Some websites report that Vitebsk Oblast has been closed, that nobody can get in our out. It is fake news that bear no resemblance to reality.”

In Vitebsk Natalya Kochanova went to healthcare institutions and was made familiar with the work of the labs that now make coronavirus test kits. “Certainly, there were issues that needed adjustment. We've decided that labs will be opened in all the oblast capitals in order to get results from coronavirus tests faster. This is why there is nothing extraordinary, the situation is absolutely manageable and under control,” the senator stated.

A theater actor died in Vitebsk the day before. He had been diagnosed with the coronavirus, this is why the head of state pays close attention to the state of affairs in the region. As he met with Natalya Kochanova, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “I am not saying it is some catastrophe. Vitebsk Oblast has a different climate and the morbidity peak has shifted a bit. Yes, some errors were made. I would like to hear about them. The healthcare minister is working there today. I've sent him and specialists there. I want them to pay attention, analyze things and make conclusions.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked the elderly man had also had other co-existing diseases. “The wife is healthy, she was living together with the husband, the daughter is healthy. Because they have a strong immune system. But he, poor guy, didn't make it. He was hospitalized with a bad case of pneumonia, his lungs were artificially ventilated, medics worked hard to save him,” he added.

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed it is necessary to take good care of the elderly in the current situation. “Not because they are old but because their immune systems are weak. And then they have a bunch of illnesses,” he said.

A dedicated section for Belarusians who need help with returning home has been launched on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BelTA has learned.

Travel restrictions aimed to curb the coronavirus spread are in place in many countries around the world. Thus, many people cannot return home, including Belarusians.

In order to encapsulate information about those who need help and to get specific data that will be needed for arranging repatriation missions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up a special form on its website. The page is available through the link http://mfa.gov.by/ministry/conv/gohome/.

Belarusians who need help are recommended to provide information about themselves, their whereabouts, their visas and tickets. All the applications will be processed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We need to take a look at how the instructions to adjust standardization in the construction sector in order to avoid its excessiveness have been implemented, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he visited Belgips Plant on 27 March, BelTA has learned.

Some 10-12 years ago the president instructed to review the legal framework in the construction sector with a view to abandon excessive standardization and transit to European standards. “We use beams, reinforced concrete instead of light structures. Too much money was wasted,” said the Belarusian leader.

More economical approaches have already been introduced. For example, some of them were applied in the construction of Minsk Arena.

Aleksandr Lukashenko believes that this issue should be revisited after the elections. “We need to liberate the things where it is possible,” the president said.

The head of state stressed that the safety of people remains number one priority. “The construction must be safe. Overspending, however, must be ruled out. This is what we should always keep in mind,” he said.

Bobruisk Biotechnology Plant has almost tripled the output of antiseptics since the beginning of the year, having produced around 53,000 bottles, BelTA learned from Aleksandr Kazusenok, the deputy director for ideology, personnel, and general matters at Bobruisk Biotechnology Plant.

“In the wake of the current epidemiological situation and high demand for medical products we have ramped up the output of antiseptics almost by three times, with 3,000 items produced daily. In 2019, the enterprise produced around 105,000 bottles of antiseptics. This year we have already made 53,000 bottles,” Aleksandr Kazusenok said. “The enterprise is currently working round the clock. All products are sold domestically,” he added.

Antiseptics (70% of ethanol) of Bobruisk Biotechnology Plant are supplied to Belarusian hospitals and polyclinics to clean operating theaters and medical instruments. Antiseptics go in packages of various size.

Moreover, the plant has launched the production of hand sanitizers (65% of ethanol), making 8,000 bottles up to 1 liter a day. Plans are in place to boost the production of hand sanitizers from next week and expand the range of sizes.

Hand sanitizers made by Bobruisk Biotechnology Plant are available in Belarusian retail chains. The plant also runs its own store in Bobruisk that daily sells more than 700 bottles of hand sanitizers.

The enterprise focuses on the quality of the product. Specialists at the enterprise's laboratories evaluate the quality of raw materials and end products. “Strict quality control enables us to make competitive and popular products,” Aleksandr Kazusenok stressed. The laboratories are also working round the clock now.

Bobruisk Biotechnology Plant is a multi-profile enterprise that makes products for the pharmaceutical industry, food industry, and agriculture. The plant exports its products to the CIS and EU member states. In 2019, its export topped $974,000. The plant employs 440 people.

Around 23,000 COVID-19 tests have been carried out in Belarus, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Healthcare Ministry.

As of 25 March, 29 patients have already been discharged or are getting ready to be discharged from the hospital. Their tests came back negative. “Another 57 people are under medical observation and getting treatment,” the press service said.

Two more patients are being tested further due to the ambiguity of the results of their tests.