The Big Conversation with the President will take place on 9 August. Belarusian head of state Aleksandr Lukashenko is expected to meet with members of the general public, experts and representatives of the media community in the format of an open conversation, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian leader.

The event will be broadcast live. Several hundred people are to be invited to take part in the event. Accreditation for Belarusian and foreign participants is open at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus) and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (National Press Center of the Republic of Belarus).

Source: БелТА

The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Russian national research center Kurchatov Institute have signed a roadmap to guide their cooperation till 2030. The document was signed by Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Vladimir Gusakov and President of the Kurchatov Institute Mikhail Kovalchuk, BelTA has learned.

The roadmap contains over 40 events and projects, including those relating to nuclear energy, genetic research, nuclear medicine, the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, and other areas. Vladimir Gusakov said: “Cooperation with the Kurchatov Institute is of great interest for us. I am talking not only about nuclear research and nuclear energy. The institute specializes in a number of areas (materials science, genome technologies, healthcare, agricultural genetics) and expands its scope of research all the time. Today we've signed a roadmap that opens up broader horizons for major joint projects.”

Mikhail Kovalchuk pointed out that very powerful projects relating to a new research infrastructure based on powerful installations – megascience facilities – are being launched now. “Such a program has been launched in Russia. This infrastructure has to become the world's best within 5-7 years. This is why taking into account Belarus' potential it seems very important to recreate the common scientific and research space within the framework of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. With this in mind we've signed the roadmap with the head of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus today,” he said.

In his words, opening a branch of the Kurchatov Institute at premises of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus has been suggested. Opening a Belarusian branch of the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI) is another proposal. “Apart from that, we've agreed we are going to draft an intergovernmental agreement on Belarus' participation in the international center based on the PIK reactor in Gatchina near St Petersburg,” the Kurchatov Institute president added.

The Russian national research center Kurchatov Institute is one of the world's top research centers. In the 20th century it was instrumental to national security and the development of strategic areas, including the development and creation of nuclear weapons, nuclear-driven underwater and surface fleets, nuclear energy industry. At present the Kurchatov Institute boasts a unique research infrastructure. It carries out research and development in a broad range of areas of modern science and technology, including power engineering, convergent NBICS technologies, particle physics, high-tech healthcare, and information technologies.

Source: БелТА

The first two million tonnes of grain have been harvested in Belarus, BelTA learned from the press service of the Agriculture and Food Ministry.

As of 27 July, 621,300 hectares of grain and leguminous crops (excluding corn, buckwheat, millet) were harvested, or almost 29% of the target. In the lead is Brest Oblast with 147,700 hectares or 43.8% cropped. Gomel Oblast harvested 120,600 hectares or 34.6%, Grodno Oblast – 66,500 hectares, or 21.3%, Minsk Oblast - 122,600 hectares or 25.7%, Mogilev Oblast -81,900 hectares or 25.1%, Vitebsk Oblast - 82,100 hectares or 23.8%).

All in all, 2,037,000 tonnes of grain were threshed, with the average yield at 32.8 centners per hectare.

The second hay cutting was completed on 705,900 hectares (86.9% of the plan). A total of 760,500 tonnes of hay (68.1% of the target) has been harvested so far, as well as 11,326,000 tonnes of haylage (83.9%) and 328,400 tonnes of silage (1.7%).

Source: БелТА

Belarus is mulling over the opening of a consulate general in China's Hong Kong, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to China Yuri Senko told the STV TV channel, BelTA informs.

“At the moment, we are considering a possibility to open a fourth consulate general of Belarus in China. Our consulates are already running in such cities as Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, and today we are looking at the economic center of China, Hong Kong, which is of great interest to us,” Yuri Senko said.

According to him, Belarus is increasing the export of products with high added value to the Chinese market. “In H1 this year, our export amounted to $454 million, the growth rate was 131% as against the pre-pandemic year of 2019. These are good indicators, and there is room for growth,” the ambassador noted.

Yuri Senko also added that the meeting between the business community and heads of Belarusian diplomatic missions held by the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Minsk on 22 July was productive.

Source: БелТА

The first million tonnes of grain has been harvested in Belarus, BelTA learned from the press service of the Agriculture and Food Ministry.

As of 23 July, 307,700 hectares of grain and leguminous crops (excluding corn, buckwheat, millet) were harvested, or almost 14.4% of the target. In the lead is Brest Oblast with 87,700 hectares or 26% cropped. Gomel Oblast harvested 70,100 hectares or 20.1%, Grodno Oblast – 30,200 hectares, or 9.68%, Minsk Oblast - 57,100 hectares or 12%, Mogilev Oblast -31,500 hectares or 9.67%, Vitebsk Oblast - 31,200 hectares or 9.04%).

All in all, 1,036,000 tonnes of grain were threshed, with the average yield at 33.7 centners per hectare.

Flax was cropped on a total of 20,500 hectares, or 49% of the target. The second hay cutting was completed on 661,800 hectares (81.5% of the plan). A total of 721,000 tonnes of hay (64.6% of the target) has been harvested so far, as well as 11,115,000 tonnes of haylage (82.3%) and 325,100 tonnes of silage (1.68%).

Source: БелТА