Official name |
Republic of Belarus |
Population (2012 est.) |
9.5 mil. |
Population density (2010 est.) |
46.2 per km2 |
Surface area |
207,600 km2 |
Capital (population 2011 est.) |
Minsk (1. 861 mil.) |
Currency |
Belarusian Ruble (BYR) |
Official languages |
Russian, Belarusian |
Belarus lies in the northern part of Eastern Europe and it is a landlocked country. The modern Republic of Belarus was created on 27 July 1990 when the country declared itself sovereign and the process was finalised by the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 8 December 1991. Belarus is a presidential republic, governed by a president and the National Assembly. EU-Belarus relations are currently governed by the Conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council as last set out on 15 October 2012.
In 2012, the Gross Domestic Product of Belarus was EUR 48.9 mil. The eletronic communications sector equaled EUR 928.8 mil., accounting for 2.5 % of the total GDP. In Belarus, the Ministry of Communications and Informatization is the body responsible for governmental regulation, the management and implementation of the unified state policy in the area of communications and informatization and the creation of conditions for the development of organisations of every type of ownership to operate in this area. The Operational and Analytical Centre under the Aegis of the President of the Republic of Belarus is the regulator in the area of ICT that determines the policy of ICT development. On the EaPeReg platform, Belarus is represented by both state bodies.