Belarus

Repurposing of agricultural land will be prohibited, no lands from the agricultural land pool will be allocated for construction or plots; this especially applies many abandoned and unused plots in small communities, Belarus media reported

The final stage of the 14th national beauty pageant Miss Belarus 2025, held at the Palace of Sports, was attended by President Lukashenko to underline the cultural significance of the event; 854 girls took part in the selection process

Following Poland’s closure of all border checkpoints with Belarus, over 1.000 vehicles are waiting at the Belarusian border to enter Lithuania, the State Border Committee’s press service told media BelTA

The national canoe sprint team got five medals at the 2025 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships: one gold, two silvers, and two bronzes, with Volha Klimava winning the champion title in the Women C1 5.000m

A meeting to discuss the operations of KGB, the State Security Committee of Belarus, was convened by President Aleksandr Lukashenko; key discussions focused on potential improvements to the agency's work

The International Environmental Forum was held in Altai on 25 July, with Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan taking part; among key issues were the development of national parks and biodiversity conservation

111.520 travelers from 38 countries included in the visa-waiver program have been welcomed in Belarus since 1 January 2025; most travelers came from neighboring countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Poland

Belarus released 14 political prisoners, including jailed opposition blogger Siarhei Tsikhanouski and three Polish nationals, following meetings of Alexander Lukashenko with envoys from U.S. President Trump in Minsk

Belarus' gold and foreign exchange reserves were estimated at $11.158 billion on 1 June, and half of the value is monetary gold; figures ground on preliminary data published on the National Bank's website

Production of wood pellets from wood waste is viewed as a very promising source of income for the country, said President Lukashenko, eyeing a sharper focus on the introduction of pellet heaters as a mean to recycle and respond to energy needs

Belarusian President Lukashenko expressed readiness to negotiate cooperation with Guinea-Bissau as he met with President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau in Minsk on 7 May; all areas of activity are being considered, with a focus on agricolture

Belarus is moving to boost bilateral air transport cooperation with Iran; plans include the launch of direct flights between Tehran and Minsk, the head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said