3 November, Minsk / Vladimir Matveev - BELTA /. The Head of State Alexander Lukashenko has conferred the rank of Major General upon the governors of the regions and the Mayor of Minsk in connection with their leadership of the defence councils of the respective regions. The President of the country Alexander Lukashenko made this decision today during his visit to the stationary command post of the territorial defence headquarters in Minsk, a BELTA correspondent reports. In particular, addressing the Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Nikolai Ladutko, the Head of State said: "As of today, he is a Major General. He is responsible for territorial defence. And it is his right, after informing the President, to deploy the entire territorial defence. If the President approves, let him deploy it." Alexander Lukashenko also noted that territorial defence exercises should be held annually in Minsk on the basis of one of the districts. -0-

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