Page 31 - BELRptOct18

It said Russia had asked Belarus to compensate for its budget losses for past supplies of refined products but gave no figure.
9.1.3 Aviation sector news
Minsk National Airport has welcomed its 2018 three-millionth passenger,
BelTA learned from the press service of the airport. The 2018 three-mnth passenger took Belavia's Minsk-Moscow flight on 30 August at 16.30. In 2017 the airport had its three-millionth passenger a bit later, on 16 September. Minsk National Airport is Belarus' first international airport that has been certified for compliance with the international standard ISO 9001. The airport is home to the national air carrier Belavia and the cargo carriers Transaviaexport, Rubystar, and Genex. The airport offers flights to over 40 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and other regions.
9.1.9 Tourism sector news
Belarus' export of tourism services made up $126.1mn in January-July 2018, up 17.5% from the same period a year ago, Belarus' Deputy Sport and Tourism Minister Mikhail Portnoi told the media in BelTA's press centre on 24 September. The ministry and travel agencies forecast that by the end of 2018 the market of tourism services will show growth against 2016 and 2017. The forecast takes into account efforts put in to liberalize visa procedures, expand borders of visa-free zones in Grodno Oblast and Brest Oblast, and intensify marketing events. Since the start of the year the Sport and Tourism Ministry has held together with public organizations and business more than 20 marketing events in Europe, the United States and Asia. On 27 July 2018 the visa-free stay in Belarus was expanded from 5 to 30 days. Over the time the number of visa-free tourists has gone up 42%. The biggest number of visa-free visitors comes from Germany, Poland, the UK, the United States and Italy. “We expect that the extended visa-free stay for foreigners will benefit spa resorts of our country. A health invigoration course requires 8-12 procedures, which is impossible to complete within the five-day visa-free stay,” Mikhail Portnoi said. This year has been announced the Year of Belarusian Tourism in China. The mutual visa-free entry for citizens of Belarus and China was introduced on 10 August. Familiarization tours for the Chinese mass media are held to increase the number of visitors from China. Belarusian hospitality facilities are being adapted to the China Friendly services. The program includes training of guides with Chinese, the production of promotion and informational materials and the provision of navigation around Minsk and regions in the Chinese language.
9.1.10 Utilities sector news
The construction of the first and second units of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is proceeding according to schedule despite recent accusations voiced by President Alexander Lukashenko that the launch of the first unit has already been postponed by as much as one year, according to Sergei Olontsev, senior vice president of ASE, a subsidiary of Russia’s nuclear energy state corporation Rosatom. Olontsev said that the installation of active safety systems at the first unit of the facility was expected to be completed by October 15, while the assembly of the first unit’s reactor will begin afterward,
31 BELARUS Country Report October 2018 www.intellinews.com