The Belarusian authorities are drafting a presidential decree “On the system of state organizations, carrying out ideological activities”. The Wednesday meeting of the head of state with his Cabinet was dedicated to this document, reports RIA “Novosti” correspondent. “Ideology for the state is what the immune is for a human being, so it is quite logical that the issues of ideological work are considered at the very top level,” – underscored Alexander Lukashenko opening the meeting.

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Following the statement, voiced by Vladimir Putin, that ruble will turn into a Belarusian currency unit in January 2005 (ushering in the true unification of Russia and Belarus), Alexander Lukashenko determined to strengthen the people’s national conscience and identity. He signed a decree “On the system of state bodies and other organizations, carrying out ideological work in the Republic of Belarus”. Now in all labor teams there will be introduced the posts of chief ideologists, while all the country’s universities will teach a new discipline “Fundamentals of the Belarusian state ideology”.

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The Cabinet of Ministers of Belarus studies the concretized proposals of Russia concerning the conditions for setting up joint venture on the basis of “Beltransgas”, laid out in a letter of the Russian Vice-Premier Viktor Khristenko, “Interfax” was told by a well-informed source in the government of Belarus.

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