28 August, Grodno /Elena Stasyukevich - BELTA/. Industry in Belarus will continue to develop with due regard for environmental safety. This was announced to journalists by the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Ivan Bambiza, who took part in the opening of the VIII Republican Ecological Forum in Grodno, BELTA correspondent reports. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, great attention is paid to nature protection issues in Belarus. The state strives to develop in a way that does not cause significant harm to the habitat. This includes the active development of industry. Thus, an environmental impact assessment is mandatory for the establishment of every new enterprise. For existing enterprises, measures are regularly organised to minimise harmful emissions into the atmosphere and prevent the pollution of water bodies and forests. As noted by the First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Vitaly Kulik, the achievements of the Belarusian environmental protection agency over 50 years of operation are evidenced, for example, by the fact that despite a significant increase in GDP in the country during these years, the environmental burden has increased by only 0.5-1%. The state has actively invested in environmental protection. Delegations from all regions of the republic and leading specialists in the field of nature protection in Belarus took part in the opening of the forum, which took place today in Grodno. Guests of the forum included heads of environmental protection agencies from Poland, Latvia, Ukraine, and representatives of the Russian Ministry. Throughout the day, environmental, educational, and entertainment events will be held in the regional centre. The winners of environmental competitions held in the country during the year will be awarded. In particular, the winner of the competition for the maximum extraction of secondary material resources from municipal waste will be announced. The best landscaping and territory arrangement composition will also be named. The VIII Republican Ecological Forum is dedicated to the International Year of Biodiversity and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the State Committee of the BSSR for Nature Protection. -0-

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