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Belarus to return to “winter time”?

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Belarus to return to “winter time”?

The government of Russia took a decision to switch back to “winter time”.

A bill on returning to winter time is expected to be introduced in the Russian State Duma.

The information is spread by Izvestia newspaper with a link to sources in the Kremlin and the government.  

“The decision has been taken. Russia will shift to winter time and will not have annual summer time shifts. It will be officially announced in the nearest week or two,” a source in the government informs.

According to a source in president's administration, the government had two variants: resuming the old system of time shifts twice a year or sticking permanently to winter time. The second variant was chosen.

However, PM Dmitry Medvedev's spokesperson Natalya Timakova denied the information about making a final decision on switching to winter time.

Sergei Kalashnikov, the chairman of the Duma healthcare committee reminded the newspaper that February 11 was the deadline for the government to answer to the bill on the winter time shift proposed by MPs. “I think we need the time shift. It is what we asked. But we fear officials may change time in all subjects of the Russian Federation. In this case, seven regions will be one hour behind the astronomical time,” Kalashnikov said.

The MP noted that 22 regions lived with two-hour difference with the astronomical time, 54 regions had a difference of one hour and only seven subjects of the Federation had the astronomical time. According to him, time must be switched in 76 regions.

Members of the Duma appealed to the government on switching to winter time in late December 2012. The deadline to answer the proposal expires on February 11.

Belarus refused to switch to “winter time” in 2011 to facilitate cooperation inside the Customs Union following a similar decision by Russia.

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