http://ecoinfo.bas-net.by/ecology-belarus/ecology_news_in_Belarus.html

№ 3 (18), March, 2015

MINSK, BELARUS

THIS ISSUE:

Belarus to join WWF’s Earth Hour on 28

March .................................................. 1

Belarus, UNECE discuss environmental

compliance ......................................... 1

Belarus' Parliament to consider bill on

Aarhus Convention implementation 2

Environmental Performance

Review of Belarus to be ready

by September 2015 ........................... 2

UNECE experts to analyze

environmental efforts in Belarus ........ 2

Belarus highly praised by international

eXperts for eco-achievements ......... 3

Belarus' new Forest Code close to

readiness.............................................. 3

CCTV cameras throughout

Belarusian ............................................ 3

Finnish forest management

practices assimilated in Belarus ......... 3

Belarus, Siberia agricultural scientists

sign cooperation agreement ............ 4

Belarus, Russia should cooperate ac-

tively in development of Arctic, Ant-

arctic .................................................... 4

Executive order on safe construction of

Belarusian nuclear station passed..... 4

Belarusian and Russian meteorological

services develop join program .......... 5

Roscosmos, NASB to develop new sat-

ellite ...................................................... 5

General file for audits at every stage of

Belarusian nuclear station lifecycle... 5

European Union to finance farm

tourism project in Belarus' Slavgorod

District .................................................. 6

Safari park in Dzerzhinsk District to open

in autumn 2015.................................... 6

BELARUS TO JOIN WWF’S EARTH HOUR ON 28 MARCH

Belarus will turn off the lights for the Earth Hour on 28 March, BelTA learned from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

The press ser-vice of the Green Net-work Environmental Association noted: "Belarus will join the largest environmental campaign Earth Hour and will switch the lights off for one hour from 20.30 to 21.30 local time on 28 March. Earth Hour is the largest environ-mental event in the world. Every person in any part of the work can join the event as a symbol for their commitment to the planet.”

Social actions and events will be held throughout Belarus. Building lighting will be off along Nezavisimosti and Pobeditelei Avenues, on the National Library, the Stolitsa shop-ping center, some universities, and many other land-mark buildings and places of Minsk. The action was supported by the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Culture Ministry, the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, the Energy Minsitry and other govern-ment agencies.

"This year's event has also been supported by companies: MTS mobile operator will turn off the lights in their offices across the country. Velcom mo-bile operator has installed special containers for the

disposal of batteries in its sales and service centers. They have been joined by the advertising company Leo Burnett in Belarus, hypermarkets Green, building

materials manufac-turer Paroc,‖ said the press service.

"The activities dedi-cated to the Earth Hour in Minsk will include the Living Library event when meetings will be or-ganized with interest-ing people: a vegan, a raw food enthusi-ast, an urban forest-er, the authors of environmental charity projects, the Cherno-byl clean-up work-ers,‖ the Green Net-work said.

Gomel, Grodno, Brest and Baranovichi will also turn off the lights

for the Earth Hour.

Launched in Australia in 2007, WWF’s Earth Hour has grown to become the world's biggest envi-ronmental event, mobilizing people around a range of issues from deforestation to energy efficiency. More than 7,000 towns and cities in 154 countries took part in the event last year. The Earth Hour in Belarus has been initiated by the Green Network Environmental Association of with the support of the Ministry of Natu-ral Resources and Environment Protection and the Energy Efficiency Department.

BELTA, 24.03.2015

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE DIGEST“GREEN BELARUS”

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTER

"ECO-INFO"

CENTRAL SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY NAS BELARUS

BELARUS, UNECE DISCUSS ENVIRONMENTAL

COMPLIANCE The State Control Committee of Belarus held

a working meeting with Mr Valeriu Mosanu, an expert with the UN Eco-nomic Commission for Eu-rope (ECE) on 19 March, BelTA learned from the press service of the State Control Committee.

The meeting was orga-nized in connection with the UNECE Third Environmental Performance Review of the Republic of Belarus.

Sergei Fedchenko, the head of the main department for control over the agro-industrial and environmental complexes at the State Con-trol Committee, briefed Mr Valeriu Mosanu on the pro-gress of Belarus in the field of harmonization of envi-

ronmental and economic tasks, described the partici-pation of the State Control Committee in monitoring

the environmental compliance. The parties also discussed coordination of scheduled inspections conducted by the regulatory authorities, the mechanisms for interaction with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

These issues will be discussed at the regional level: during the visit by the UNECE delega-tion to Brest Oblast the foreign guest is scheduled to meet with representatives of the regional office of the State Control Committee.

BELTA, 20.03.2015

Green Belarus Green Belarus News & EventsNews & Events in Belarusin Belarus

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P. 2 NEWS & EVENTS IN BELARUS №

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The House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus intends to consider the first reading of the bill on amendments to some laws of the Republic of Belarus on the environmental protection and public participation in environmental decision-making at the spring session which will start on 2 April, BelTA learned from Alla Naumchik, the deputy chairper-son of the permanent commission for ecol-ogy, nature management and Chernobyl of the House of Representatives.

The MP did not rule out that the bill will pass the first reading as early as April. She explained that by adopting the bill the MPs aim to implement in the Belarusian legislation cer-tain provisions of the Aarhus Convention (UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters). "On the recommendation of the Secretariat of the Aarhus Convention we need to strengthen the public participation in environmental deci-sion-making. Therefore, the bill was drawn up. The concept was developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protec-tion. We have been working on the document for almost a year,‖ said Alla Naumchik. Several

UNDP-sponsored seminars on this topic have been held in Belarus, she added.

The bill describes the term ―the public‖ that may participate in the making of environmen-tally significant decisions. The document explains which decision can be re-ferred to this category, the form in which they need to be discussed with the pub-lic. ―For example, during the discussion you will need to bring arguments rather than simply oppose. In addition, the bill de-scribes how the public may challenge the environmen-tally important decisions,‖ Alla Naumchik said. With regard to the form of discussions, it might be a meeting, and an electronic appeal to the appropriate authority.

For the time being the bill is under discus-sion. Now, the parties are debating whether to include the procedure of environmental audit in the bill.

Alla Naumchik noted that in Belarus there are already some examples of public participa-

tion in decision-making in this area. The con-struction of one of the road posed a threat to the population of frogs as the road was initially supposed to pass along their seasonal migra-tion route. Two biologists raised this issue and

the construction was delayed. Afterwards a special passage was built for the frogs.

Belarus acceded to the Aarhus Convention about 10 years ago. The Aarhus Center opened in the country at the end of 2005, within the framework of the joint project of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environ-mental Protection and the OSCE. This institution aims to ensure the public's right to

receive accurate and complete information on the state of the environment, and provides practical assistance to government institutions and employees in fulfilling their commitments to implement the provisions of the Aarhus Con-vention. The center makes reports on Belarus's compliance with the provisions of the Aarhus Convention.

BELTA, 31.03.2015

BELARUS' PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER BILL ON AARHUS CONVENTION IMPLEMENTATION

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF BELARUS TO BE READY

BY SEPTEMBER 2015 UNECE experts will prepare the Third

Environmental Performance Review (EPR) of Belarus by September 2015, Mr. Antoine Nunes, EPR Program Leader, told report-ers, BelTA has learned.

"Our experts have received quite a lot of information, and now they have a month to prepare their chapters which we will combine into a general report. We will submit this report translated into the Russian language to the Ministry of Natural resources and Environmental Protection in September,‖ Mr Antoine Nunes said.

The draft report will be discussed at the meeting of the UNECE Committee on Environ-mental Policy in October 2015.

So far we can talk only about the emotions of our experts as the report proper will be ready

by the autumn of 2015. For many of them Bela-rus was not what they expected to see as they relied on the in fo rmat ion available in the media. Many of the experts told us they would come back and bring their families to show the cleanest country in the world, First Deputy Minister of Natural Re-sources and Environment Protection Iya Malkina said. She noted that the arrival of the experts of the UN Economic Commission for Europe was

initiated by Belarus. "We understand that there is a need to review our environmental activities. This shows said that the state positions itself as environmentally friendly,‖ said Iya Malkina.

The Environmental Performance Review of Belarus will consist of 14 chapters covering air protection, water and waste management, en-ergy, transport, forestry. The EPR will be pub-lished and can be used by the countries that provide international financial assistance for the development of environmental aspects in devel-oping countries. The EPR is an external inde-pendent evaluation of the environmental poli-cies of a state, the results it has achieved in the field of environmental protection and sustaina-ble development.

BELTA, 25.03.2015

UNECE EXPERTS TO ANALYZE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS

IN BELARUS Experts of the United Nations Economic

Commission for Europe (UNECE) will pre-pare the third environmental performance review of Belarus, BelTA learned from Iya Malkina, Belarusian First Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Minister, during the plenary session dedi-cated to the start of the environmental performance review of Belarus.

According to the source, experts of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe will stay in Belarus on 16-26 March to prepare the third environmental performance review. ―It is not the first time the review will be prepared. The first commission came in 1997, the second one came in 2005. Now ten years later we have once again decided to invite international ex-perts to assess Belarus’ progress in the sphere of environmental efforts,‖ noted Iya Malkina.

According to the official, results of the envi-ronmental performance review will be published and can be used later by countries, which among other things provide international finan-cial aid for the promotion of environmental efforts in developing countries. ―Various envi-

ronmental events are held in Belarus. We tightly cooperate with international organizations and projects. It is important for us to let the other countries know how far we have ad-vanced,‖ she stressed.

―We have brought to Belarus a mission of international experts that represent the secretariat of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and international organizations. They will provide an external

independent evaluation of how the government pursues its environmental policy, what results have been achieved in the sphere of environ-mental protection and sustainable develop-ment,‖ explained Yulia Trombitskaya, repre-sentative of the UNECE secretariat and the

coordinator of the environmental performance review of Belarus.

The review will comprise 14 chapters. ―We will take a close look at the legislation and its observance in the country, will analyze the economic instruments that help with environ-mental protection. Some chapters will be dedi-cated to the protection of air, water resources, biological diversity, and waste treatment. Apart from that, this time the environmental perfor-mance review will pay close attention to ecolog-ical considerations in various branches of the economy,‖ stated the UNECE secretariat repre-sentative. Yulia Trombitskaya stressed that experts of the commission will work with repre-sentatives of all the ministries and government agencies of Belarus as well as non-governmental organizations.

―A report will be prepared as a result of our work. It will provide concrete recommendations for the country. It will be passed by the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy in October 2015,‖ said Yulia Trombitskaya.

BELTA, 17.03.2015

P. 3 NEWS & EVENTS IN BELARUS №

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BELARUS HIGHLY PRAISED BY

INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS FOR

ECO-ACHIEVEMENTS The UN Economic Commission

for Europe has been working on its Third Environmental Performance Review, with almost a decade having passed since its last visit to Belarus. Since then, much has been achieved, notes Antoine Nunes, who heads the UN Econom-ic Commission for Europe secretar-iat’s reviews programme. He helped compile the previous re-view and believes that Belarus has made significant progress. He has praised eco-related legisla-tion, noting that it is contributing to environmen-tal protection, and is pleased at the level of in-teraction between ministries and agencies.

―Following the results of our work in 2005, Belarus received ecological recommendations. We can now assert that these have been met in 80-90 percent of cases — and the true figure may be even greater. It’s an impres-sive result, especially since most other states only achieve 72 percent. Nature protection is being considered across various industrial sectors of Belarus, as a result of wider state strategy,‖ comments Mr. Nunes.

Belarus’ First Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Iya Malkina, tells us that nature protection issues remain to the fore for Belarus, although the same is not always true abroad. She under-lines, ―Ecological issues head our na-tional development, being taken into consideration within all strategic pro-grammes; sometimes, they are quite fundamental. Almost every economic branch is somehow related to ecology.

For example, in promoting the achieve-ments of our nature re-serves, we are s u p p o r t i n g future ecologi-cal tourism, aiming to

attract visitors from abroad. Moreover, enhanced ecological measures at our production facilities aim to raise export volumes, since foreign consumers often wish to buy ecologically friendly products.‖

The eco-programme is extensive, involving several ministries, the Goss-tandard, and the Belarusian Steel Works (in Zhlobin). Their data will help inform the latest UN Environmental Performance Review.

The Minsk Times, 31.03.2015

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CCTV CAMERAS THROUGHOUT BELARUSIAN

FORESTS The Belarusian Forest-

ry Ministry intends to ex-pand CCTV coverage across the country for the sake of detecting forest fires in a timely manner, BelTA learned from Bela-r u s i a n F i r s t De p ut y Forestry Minister Alexan-

d e r K u l i k d u r i n g t h e p r e s s confer-e n c e held on 2 3 M a r c h to discuss the prevention of forest fires in the spring-summer period.

―As far as video surveil-lance systems are concerned, we intend to cover all the forests. We are now conduct-

ing a survey to find the areas yet in need of surveillance.

There is no need to install cameras at every watchtower but taking into account geo-graphical conditions and the terrain we will install a suffi-cient number of cameras to reach 100% coverage be-

cause the s y s t e m h a s proved its u s e f u l -n e s s , ‖

noted the Be larus-ian First D e p u t y Forest ry Minister.

In his w o r d s , p h o t o

cameras are installed in crowded places and in places where unauthorized people may dispose of garbage. The records made by the cameras can help find the cause of resulting fires, explained Alexander Kulik .

BELTA,

23.03.2015

The draft Forest Code may be passed in the second reading during the spring session of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus that will begin on 2 April, BelTA learned from Sergei Konoplich, Chairman of the Ecology, Nature Management, and Chernobyl Catastrophe Commission of the lower chamber of the Belarus parliament.

―We are not yet in the home stretch but plan to give the second reading to the document during the spring session,‖ said the MP. Sergei Konoplich did not rule out the possi-bility of the new Forest Code getting adopted by the end of the session.

According to the MP, about 80% of the document has been reworked after the first reading. ―The work continues very vigorously involving all the concerned agencies, including the Forestry Ministry and the Natural Re-sources and Environmental Protec-tion Ministry,‖ he said.

Sergei Konoplich explained that unifying the Belarusian legislation with that of partners in the Eurasian Economic Union is one of the goals of the revamped document. ―We would like to make a solid document in the

end that would meet all the modern requirements and would be able to address many matters concerning forest management. Those include forest planting, forest maintenance, protection against fires, and pro-cessing,‖ said the member of the parliament. Sergei Konoplich went on saying that while working on the bill they are also analyzing the situation that emerged in Russia recently when the problem of forest fires came to the forefront due to certain shortcomings.

The MP explained that the possi-bility of dropping forest classification was being discussed among other things. ―We are now discussing whether it is advisable to keep these norms. It is done partially because we are unifying the legislation,‖ said

Sergei Konoplich. The MP reminded that, for instance, forest cutting is not an option in first-class forests except for forest mainte-nance operations. ―But the removal of

forest groups will not weaken forest protection. We would like the protec-tion measures to be more civilized. Other mechanisms will be em-ployed,‖ noted the MP.

BELTA, 25.03.2015

BELARUS' NEW FOREST CODE

CLOSE TO READINESS

FINNISH FOREST MANAGEMENT

PRACTICES ASSIMILATED IN BELARUS

The Orsha forestry enterprise of the

Vitebsk Oblast forestry administration will create over 40ha of European fir

trees using container saplings that have

been grown taking into consideration

Finnish practices, representatives of the

Vitebsk Oblast forestry administration

told BelTA.

According to the source, Vitebsk Oblast

is busy assimilating Finland's cutting-edge

forest management practices. As far as

forest reproduction is concerned, Belarusian forest farms focus on growing and creating

forest crops using container saplings. The

novelty will greatly increase the survival rate

of saplings, will reduce the number of

maintenance opera-

tions, and will allow planting saplings and

expanding forest plan-

tations virtually during

the entire vegetation

period. The measures

are being taken as part of the effort to fulfill

the instructions given

by the Belarus president when he visited the

national forest selection and seed center in

2014. The first steps in this field have been

made already. In spring 2015 the Orsha forestry enterprise, the first enterprise in the

Vitebsk Oblast forestry administration, will

create over 40ha of European fir trees using

container saplings, BelTA learned from Alexei Kitashev, Chief Engineer for Forest Restora-

tion and Melioration of the Vitebsk Oblast

forestry administration.

Vitebsk Oblast forestry enterprises are supposed to increase the share of new forest

plantations created using container saplings

up to 30% of the actual recreation by 2020

or about 1,050ha per annum. Forest nurse-

ries are being modernized bearing this goal

in mind. In 2014 four new forest nurseries were commissioned in Vitebsk Oblast, in-

cluding two basic ones in the Vitebsk forest-

ry enterprise and the Orsha forestry enter-

prise. At present Vitebsk Oblast forestry

enterprises grow 450,000 con-

tainer saplings of the European fir tree variety.

In spring 2015 seeds will be

sown to grow 1,050,000 sap-

lings by 2016. The measure will allow raising the share of new

forest plantations created using

container saplings up to at least

11.4% by 2017 and 30% by

2020. Thus, the Belarusian forestry indus-

try's forest recreation will make a gradual transition to Finnish practices, concluded

Alexei Kitashev.

BELTA,

24.03.2015

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“Today the NASB Department of Agri-cultural Sciences and the Siberian Department of Agricultural Sciences of the Federal Agency for Scientific Organizations (FASO) signed an agree-ment on scientific and technical cooperation. The document is expected to bolster the bilateral scien-tific cooperation and ex-pand the joint research and innovation activities on a long-term basis,” the press service explained.

The Belarusian Academy of Sciences point-ed out that the agricultural scientists will devel-op and implement joint scientific and technical projects and present them at the international level. ―Besides, within the framework of cooper-

ation, the Belarusian and Russian scientists will exchange genetic re-sources of plants and animals, jointly partici-pate in scientific organi-zations and apply for national and internation-al grants, exchange delegations of scientists, organize international conferences on the de-velopment of the agro-industrial complexes of Belarus and Siberia, and jointly conduct pilot testing of scientific achievements,‖ the

NASB added.

A delegation of the Siberian Department of Agricultural Sciences is visiting Minsk from 25 to 28 March on the invitation of the NASB ad-

ministration. The program of the visit includes meetings with NASB representatives to discuss ways to expand the bilateral cooperation. The Russian delegation comprises heads of the Siberian Scientific Research Institute of Cattle Breeding, the Research Institute of Experi-mental Veterinary Medicine of Siberia and the Far East, and the Siberian Research Institute of Mechanization and Electrification of Agriculture. The Russian guests will visit a number of agri-cultural organizations of the Belarusian Acade-my of Sciences, including the Vyshelessky Insti-tute of Experimental Veterinary Medicine, the Scientific and Practical Center for Animal Breed-ing, the Scientific and Practical Center for Agri-culture Mechanization, and the Institute for Fruit Growing. A NASB delegation will pay a visit to Siberia to discuss some particular pro-jects in the near future.

BELTA, 26.03.2015

BELARUS, SIBERIA AGRICULTURAL SCIENTISTS SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT

BELARUS, RUSSIA SHOULD COOPERATE ACTIVELY IN

DEVELOPMENT OF ARCTIC, ANTARCTIC Belarus and Russia need to cooperate

actively in the development of both the Arctic and Antarctic, Artur Chilingarov, a well-known Russian explorer of the Arctic and Antarctic, prominent scientist and oceanographer, told BelTA after his meet-ing with Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Bela-rus Mikhail Myasnikovich.

"There is a whole galaxy of Belarusian polar explorers. For example, Vladimir Tyshkevich (biologist Vladimir Tyshkevich was part of the crew of the drifting station SP-32 Russia) and Vladimir Koshelev, who was the head of the drifting station. I also have Belarusian roots. My mother was from Gorodok. My great-grandfather was an honorary citizen of Polotsk and Vitebsk. We should actively cooperate in studying the planet's polar regions: the Arctic and Antarctic,‖ Artur Chilingarov said. He also

noted that the Russian side assists Belarus, when necessary, in de-veloping the Antarctic program.

With regard to the practical benefits that Belarus may reap from having its own Antarctic station Belarus, Artur Chilingarov said: it will provide an opportunity to conduct a variety of ap-plied research. In turn, the head of the Interna-tional Sakharov Environ-mental University, Acad-emician of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Loginov said that this year the Russian ship Akademik Fedorov might deliver a

module of the Belarusian station to the Antarctic. The first weather report will mark the launch of the station.

The meeting with Mikhail Myasnikovich was also at-tended by the Director of the Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Scienc-es of Ukraine Leonid Ruden-ko. The meeting participants exchanged gifts.

As was reported, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine previous-ly planned to facilitate the exchange of scientific person-nel in Antarctica.

BELTA, 9.03.2015

EXECUTIVE ORDER ON SAFE CONSTRUCTION OF BELARUSIAN

NUCLEAR STATION PASSED The Belarus government passed execu-

tive order No. 133 on 25 February to ap-prove the regulation on organizing and exercising control (oversight) over the safe construction and commissioning of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, the press service of the Belarus government told Bel-TA.

The document will come into force once it is officially published. The document was adopted in line with Belarus pres-ident decree No. 62 of 16 February.

The regulation deter-mines the procedure that oversight agencies will have to follow to ensure the safe construction and commissioning of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. In particular, the document provides for two kinds of audits — complex ones and constant monitoring ones.

The complex audits will have to be orga-nized by the Emergencies Ministry in accord-

ance with the schedule for building the nuclear power plant and upon proposals of oversight agencies. The audits may not take longer than

30 bus iness days. However, the term can be extended for the sake of clarifying results and car-rying out tests, exam ina t ions , and trials by another 30 days at most.

Belarus president decree No. 62 of 16 February has been signed for the sake of reaching and maintaining the

proper level of safety of the Belarusian nuclear power plant and for the sake of honoring the commitments Belarus has accepted within the framework of the Convention on Nuclear Safety of 17 June 1994.

The decree specifies that control over the construction and commissioning of the nuclear

power plant will be exercised by government agencies, including the State Standardization Committee, the Civil Engineering Control and Oversight Department and its specialized in-spectorate, state metrological oversight agen-cies, the Healthcare Ministry, the Natural Re-sources and Environmental Protection Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and the Emergencies Min-istry, including the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department and the Safe Industrial Practices Department. The Emergencies Ministry will be in charge of coordinating the interaction of the auditing agencies.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build an AES-2006 type nuclear pow-er plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The power plant will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO ASE is the general designer and the general contractor of the project. In line with the general contract for building the nuclear power plant the first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020.

BELTA, 4.03.2015

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BELARUSIAN AND RUS-SIAN METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES DEVELOP JOIN

PROGRAM Hydrometeorological centers

of Belarus and Russia are develop-ing a joint program in the field of hydro-meteorological and environ-mental monitoring, Maria Germen-chuk, First Deputy Head of the National Center for Hydrometeor-ology, Monitoring of Radioactive Contamination and Environ-m e n t (Gidromet), told a press confer-ence dedicated to the World Meteorological Day, BelTA has learned.

"We are ac-tively working on the development of bilateral coop-eration with the Russian Federa-tion. Now we are developing a joint program with the Russian Hydromete-orological Center (Rosgidromet). I hope that it will be adopted in the coming years,‖ said Maria Germen-chuk.

According to her, it will be the fourth program developed jointly with Rosgidromet. "When this program is adopted depends on the Russian side, in particular the Finance Ministry of the Russian Federation. This is a normal process: first we develop the concept, and then we submit it for the exami-

nation of not only meteorological ser-vices but also a number of other or-ganizations: the ministries of environ-ment, finance and economy of the two countries," she explained.

Maria Germenchuk stressed that such a long negotiation process allows seeing the situation through the eyes

of consumers of the infor-mation which me t e o r o l o -gists prepare. "We under-stand who we work for and what form this or that in fo rmat ion should be presented to consumers,‖ she stated.

The new program will

reflect a number of cooperation areas, including the harmonization of the regulatory framework in the field of hydrometeorology, and joint research. "It is also important to ensure radia-tion safety. We are working closely with Rosgidromet and exploring their experience of monitoring the situation around nuclear power plants,‖ Maria Germenchuk noted. She emphasized that the document will envisage other joint activities .

BELTA, 23.03.2015

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The Russian space agency Roscosmos and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus are busy developing a new satel-lite for the remote sensing of the Earth, BelTA learned from Acade-mician Piotr Vityaz, Chief of Staff of the National Academy of Sci-ences of Belarus, on 4 March.

According to the source, a new space program of Belarus pro-vides for creat-ing the satel-lite. “We are now working with Roscos-mos on what the satellite will look like. It may be a satellite with the resolution of less than one meter,” Piotr Vityaz remarked. The official explained that this resolution is what the customers want.

According to the Academician, the government is revising the con-cept of the new space program. Once the program is adopted, specialists of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and Roscosmos will be ready to get down to creating the satellite right away. The satellite may be built within three years.

Earlier BelTA quoted Sergei Chizhik, First Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, as saying that Belarus is a space power because the

country has a satellite of its own. Shots taken by the Belarusian satel-lite are used by eleven ministries and agencies of Belarus. The number includes the Emergencies Ministry, the Forestry Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environmental Protec-tion Ministry. The shots are available for free for Belarusian public sector

organizations or private organiza-tions that carry out projects at the expense of the state budget. The import substitution effect is estimated at about $5 mil-lion.

The Belarusian satellite BKA was put into orbit to-gether with the

Russian satellite Canopus-B at an altitude of about 500-520km using the carrier rocket Soyuz and the booster module Fregat on 22 July 2012. The shots taken by the Bela-rusian satellite boast high spatial resolution and provide panchromatic views (one channel) of the Earth’s surface with the resolution of 2.1m and multiple-channel views (4 chan-nels) with the resolution of 10.5m. The optoelectronic equipment weighs a total of 150-200kg. It was made by the Belarusian company Peleng and the Cybernetics Institute. The rest of the equipment was made in Russia and the UK.

BELTA, 4.03.2015

ROSCOSMOS, NASB TO DEVELOP NEW

SATELLITE

GENERAL FILE FOR AUDITS AT EVE-RY STAGE OF BELARUSIAN NUCLEAR

STATION LIFECYCLE The Nuclear and Radiation Safety De-

partment (Gosatomnadzor) of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry will compile a general file that will include results of the audits carried out at every stage of the lifecycle of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, BelTA learned from Gosatomnadzor’s representa-tives, who explained Council of Ministers e xe c ut i ve order No. 133 of 25 February.

T h e d o c u m e n t was pub-lished by the

national legal information website on 6 March. The d o c u m e n t approves the regulation on organization and actual o v e r s i g h t over the safe construction and commissioning of the Belarusian nuclear power plant.

According to the source, now the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry will be able to collect and

accumulate materials of the audits carried out by any agency involved in overseeing the Belarusian

nuclear power plant project. In the past the Go-satomnadzor was limited to keeping only results of its own audits.

On the whole, the regulation explains in detail the procedures required to enable the safe con-struction and commissioning of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, including rights and obliga-tions of the parties involved in the process, re-

quirements for the opera tor enterprise and oversight agen-cies, as well as the types and paperwork stand-ards for audits.

Gosatomnadzor representatives pointed out that the document makes provisions for a special type of audits — con-stant monitoring. It will allow over-sight agencies to constantly track safety standards.

In the past only the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department had the right to do that.

BelTA reported earlier that Council of Minis-ters executive order No. 133 was adopted in accordance with Belarus president decree No. 62

of 16 February 2015. The decree was signed for

the sake of reaching and maintaining the proper level of safety of the Belarusian nuclear power plant and for the sake of honoring the commit-ments Belarus has accepted within the framework of the Convention on Nuclear Safety of 17 June 1994.

The decree specifies that control over the construction and commissioning of the nuclear power plant will be exercised by government agencies, including the State Standardization Committee, the Civil Engineering Control and Oversight Department and its specialized inspec-torate, state metrological oversight agencies, the Healthcare Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and the Emergencies Ministry, including

the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department and the Safe Industrial Practices Department. The Emergencies Ministry will be in charge of coordi-nating the interaction of the auditing agencies.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a pro-ject to build an AES-2006 type nuclear power plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The power plant will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO ASE is the general designer and the general contractor of the pro-ject. In line with the general contract for building the nuclear power plant the first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020.

BELTA,

6.03.2015

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The European Union will allocate over €400,000 in 2015-2017 for farm tourism de-velopment in Slavgorod District, Mogilev Ob-last, BelTA learned from Vitaly Varabei, direc-tor of the local foundation for the develop-ment of rural territories Revival-Agro.

The project of the foundation has been backed by the European Union as part of the pro-gram meant to provide technical aid to Belarus. The project has passed the registration procedure in the Economy Ministry. According to Vitaly Vara-bei, the main purpose of the project is to bolster public private partnership for the sake of develop-ing tourism based on cultural traditions, folk crafts, and the natural legacy of Slavgorod District.

The establishment of a district council to develop farm tourism and ecotourism will be one of the key parts of the project. The council will be in charge of coordinating all the future endeavors meant to implement the ideas and initiatives out-lined by the project. The work will include the development and implementation of a strategy for tourism development in Slavgo-rod District, for the support of tourism operators in the develop-ment and implementation of their initiatives, presentation and pro-tection of their interests, their promotion and inclusion into regional, national, and interna-tional tourism networks. Apart from that, resources will be raised to develop tourism operators in Slavgorod District.

As part of the project at least 50 local initiatives of rural residents and companies will be backed. The initiatives are aimed at developing farm tourism and ecotourism, with the total volume of finance at €111,000. The finan-cial resources will be allocated through tenders. The district council will arrange the selection pro-cess and will advise the Revival-Agro foundation on the allocation of the resources. As part of the pro-ject financial support will be granted only to legal persons. Initiatives of citizens will be supported via materials, merchandise, and loans in order to encourage residents of the district to be part of the development of tourism business in the country-side.

For the sake of developing local initiatives that can provide wide complex effects (for in-stance, economy and ecology) for better living standards in the district, an integration seminar (a tourism trade show) will be held annually and the best practices will be exchanged at least 12 times a year. Invitations to participate in these events will be sent out to representatives of government agencies, leaders and participants of tourism, economic, social and ecological projects. By getting familiar with results of projects the participants will be able to use the results to improve their own

projects. During the event a platform for the devel-opment of new integrated projects for comple-menting the prepared tourism development pro-gram will be presented, said the source.

Vitaly Varabei remarked that the main tasks of the successful implementation of the project include an increase in the number of farm tourism and ecotourism operators up to 40 (there are eight farm tourism estates in the district at present), the creation of at least ten tourism routes and their integration into regional and national tourism net-works, the development of enterprising tourism, the organization of at least 25 rural festivals and celebrations every year in addition to tourist con-ventions and other events. The district council for farm tourism development will take care of arrang-ing local major cultural projects, too. Those will include a district festival of folk traditions and crafts, a festival of spiritual traditions and rites Makavei, which is held every year near the natural landmark Blue Spring. A district tourism fair will be held in Slavgorod every year as well.

For the sake of enhancing the human potential a number of educational events have been planned as part of the project. They include a computer literacy school, a small business school (folk crafts, farm tourism, and so on), an initiative school or ways to convert ideas into initiatives and learn business planning. The

final event of the project will be a seminar that will evaluate the development of farm tourism and ecological tourism in Slavgorod District over the course of three years and the tourism products that have been created and the initiatives that have been implemented will be presented.

Valeria Klitsunova, Chairwoman of the Board of the Belarusian public association Country Escape (Otdykh v derevne), noted that the project is un-precedented with regard to the development of tourism in a small rural area using a serious vol-ume of funding and the number of initiatives that will be implemented. If all the plans come to frui-tion, it will be a true breakthrough in tourism de-velopment in Slavgorod District. It will also serve as a good example for other regions of the coun-try.

The project will be implemented by the local foundation for the development of rural territories Revival-Agro in tight cooperation with the Slavgo-rod District administration, the International Foun-dation for Rural Development, and the Mogilev Oblast council for the development of farm tourism and ecotourism .

BELTA, 6.03.2015

EUROPEAN UNION TO FINANCE FARM TOURISM PROJECT IN

BELARUS' SLAVGOROD DISTRICT

SAFARI PARK IN DZERZHINSK DISTRICT TO OPEN

IN AUTUMN 2015 A safari park will open in the eco-

tourism center Stankovo (Dzerzhinsk District) in autumn 2015, BelTA learnt from Deputy General Director of OAO Agrokombinat Dzer-zhinsky Sergei Yermak.

The safari park will be home to European fallow deer, dappled and red deer, roedeer, mouf-llons and other animals. The eco-tourism center is currently developing and beatifying wood trails and feeding grounds, building towers to watch animals. The park will occupy the area of about 450 hec-tares.

It is expected that the number of visitors to the eco-tourism center will increase once the facili-ty opens. According to Sergei Yermak, in 2014 Stankovo was visited by nearly 155,000 people, with the majority coming from the Belarusian capi-

tal and Russia.

The eco-tourism center Stankovo is an initi-ative of OAO Agrokombinat Dzerzhinsky and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. The construc-tion of the center was launched in June 2008. The center welcomed its first visitors in April 2011. Today the visitors of the center can explore the dugouts of the partisan camp, make a wish near the 500-year-old oak, see the famous military historical complex Minsk Fortified Zone and the Residence of the Father Frost. Stankovo also in-vites its visitors to a zoo, home to 50 species of birds and animals, including ostriches, peacocks, aurochs, lamas, a yak and a bear. The center also features a sauna, a restaurant, a cafe, a 5D cine-ma, and a shooting gallery.

BELTA, 4.03.2015