Belarus Embassy initiates talks over sanatorium

VILNIUS(ELTA) - On Jan 6 the Health Ministry of Lithuania hosted a
meeting, on the initiative of the Belarus' embassy, among local
officials, staff members of the embassy, and representatives of the
Sanatorium Baltarusija to discuss the sanatorium's future prospects.

In 1995, the Lithuanian and Belarusian governments concluded an
agreement for a 99-year lease on a land lot in Lithuania's southern
Druskininkai resort for the Sanatorium Baltarusija. At the Jan. 6
forum, the Belarusian side gave guarantees from its government that
the sanatorium would function in conformity with Lithuanian laws.

However, a separate agreement on regulations for the sanatorium's
operation is still missing. The parties thus arrived at a decision to
form a working team in the health ministry for an urgent drafting of
this agreement. The team's major task will be to deal with such
problems as gaining accreditation for the Sanatorium Baltarusija and
the licensing of its staff members, as well as negotiating customs
duties and VAT for the material resources imported from Belarus.