FOUNDATION OF THE CUSTOMS UNION OF BELARUS, KAZAKHSTAN, AND RUSSIA



In November the heads of state of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia signed papers to create the Customs Union as from 1 January 2010. The integration will enable free trade between the countries, will improve the competitive ability, will allow using the transit potential more effectively, and will improve the access of companies to foreign markets. Apart from that, the Customs Union will bring about a huge market, which total oil reserves are as large as 90 billion barrels, the overall GDP - $2 trillion, the total trade turnover - $900 billion, agricultural output - $112 billion.
The Customs Union is the foundation for establishing the Single Economic Space in the future. Its creation is supposed to be completed by 1 January 2012, the creation of the legal base – in 2011.

LIBERALIZATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE INVESTMENT CLIMATE



In Belarus several measures have been taken to further liberalize and enhance the investment attractiveness of the national economy. The operation of auditing agencies has been improved, investors have been allowed to ink investment contracts with local authorities, the registration of prices for new products and services has been waived, trade markups for most commodities (except for 50 socially important ones) are not regulated anymore, foreign trade procedures have been streamlined as well as the provision of land plots and the taxation system.



As a result the IFC and the World Bank put Belarus among the ten top countries which are most active at reforming business regulations. Belarus is the world’s fourth most active legislation reformer. The steps taken by the Belarusian authorities are hailed by other international financial institutions, too.

IMPROVEMENT OF ELECTORAL LAWS



The parliament has approved amendments to several laws regulating the holding of elections and referendums. Representatives of political parties and other public associations will make up at least a third in election commissions (apart from the Central Election Commission). The nomination and registration of candidates will be streamlined. Political parties will be allowed to nominate candidates in all constituencies regardless of whether they have a representative office there. Individual electoral funds can be created. The voter turnout threshold required to validate elections to local councils has been removed.



THE MEETINGS OF THE PRESIDENT WITH THE POPE AND THE PATRIARCH



The meetings of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko with Pope Benedict XVI and Patriarch of Moscow of All Russia Kirill opened a new page in the cooperation between the state and the leading religious communities of Belarus. The head of state visited Rome on 26-28 April to discuss the cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Roman Catholic Church in science and culture, the promotion of religious and cultural dialogue and the prospects of concluding the concordat. Alexander Lukashenko invited Benedict XVI to visit Belarus.



Patriarch Kirill paid a visit to Belarus on 25-28 September. The Belarusian President and the Patriarch discussed the topical issues of the relations between the state and the Eastern Orthodox Church, the role of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in the society. The sides underlined the importance of Christian values in the spiritual development of the nation.

THE INCLUSION OF BELARUS IN THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP PROJECT



Belarus has joined the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative alongside with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.



The Eastern Partnership initiative is a joint project of the EU member states and their Eastern European partners. The program aims to promote political cooperation and economic integration, and to support political, social and economic reforms.

OPERATIVE STRATEGIC ARMY EXERCISE ZAPAD 2009



The operative strategic army exercise Zapad 2009 took place in Belarus and Russia in September. It was based on a possible armed conflict scenario as well as a defense scenario. Unlike previous exercises this one involved a series of unrelated defensive actions. Around 12,600 personnel were involved in the command post exercise, including around 6,500 Belarusian military, around 6,000 Russian military and about 30 Kazakhstan military.



The army exercise Zapad 2009 was supposed to test Belarus’ and Russia’s ability to ensure the military security of the Union State, to test the readiness to repulse a possible aggression. It enabled smoother operation of command bodies, improved the training level of the troops of Belarus and Russia that make up part of the regional military taskforce.

POPULATION CENSUS



On 14-24 October 2009, the second population census was carried out in Belarus. The first one was conducted in 1999. This comprehensive nationwide count provides essential information for the government to use in elaborating an effective social and economic policy.
Over 48,000 people were temporarily employed as the census staff, including 38,200 field staff; 648 registration offices, 6,326 instruction offices and 31,846 counting offices were established. Also, over 3,000 stationary registration offices were set up.



The preliminary results of the census will be ready by February 2010. The processing of the census data will be fully completed by 30 December 2011.
The results of the census will be incorporated into the results of the global census carried out under the 2010 World Population and Housing Census Programme.

FIRST HEART TRANSPLANT SURGERY



The first heart transplant surgery was performed in Belarus on the night of February 11/12 at the National Cardiology Research Centre. The 36-year-old heart transplant patient suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy. The surgery lasted more than five hours. A total of 20 specialists took part in the surgery. In 2009, Belarusian specialists performed over 10 heart transplant surgeries.



BELARUS WINS THE RIGHT TO HOST 2014 IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP



Belarus is honoured to host the IIHF World Championship in 2014. Some 75 delegates of the Congress of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) voted for Belarus, 24 - for Hungary, 3 - for Latvia and 2 - for Ukraine. The championship will be staged in Minsk-Arena (15,000 seats) and Chizhovka-Arena (7,700 seats), which construction is slated for completion in 2011.



By the end of 2013 Minsk will construct or retrofit several hotels to increase the capacity of 4- and 5- star hotels by 1,000 places. This is needed to accommodate 16 teams, VIP-fans, official delegations. The street traffic development programme envisages the construction of eight traffic interchanges, half of which are in close vicinity of Minsk-Arena and Chizhovka-Arena. The construction of traffic interchanges is expected to be completed by 2013.

INCLUSION OF A BELARUSIAN FOLK RITE IN THE UNESCO CULTURAL HERITAGE LIST

The Belarusian folk rite ‘The Kalyady Tsars’ (Christmas Tsars) has been included into the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. This unique rite is a ritual and festive event celebrated in the village of Semezhevo, Kopyl Region, Minsk Oblast.

Typical Belarusian New Year celebrations take place according to the ’old’ Julian style calendar and are combined with distinctive local performing arts. About 500 men participate annually in the event, of which seven are chosen to play the roles of ’Kalyady Tsars’ in the national historical-religious drama ’Tsar Maximilian’. During the drama, ’tsars’ visit the local houses of unmarried girls to give comic performances and receive good wishes and awards. The procession continues into the night, lit by torchlight.