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MINSK, 3 November (BelTA) - Members of the House of Representatives passed the amendments to the law on international treaties of the Republic of Belarus in the first reading, BelTA has learned.

According to Belarus’ Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Kravchenko, the bill provides for the refinement of the conceptual framework, optimization of the documentary load, facilitating the decision-making procedure on draft interstate and intergovernmental agreements aimed at attracting the resources of international organizations to Belarus.

One of the main innovations is to simplify the procedures for granting authority to commit legal action on draft international treaties. When organizing visits abroad at different levels, there come the situations requiring prompt replacement of an official authorized to sign the documents. In this connection, the draft law provides for the possibility of signing interstate and intergovernmental international treaties by the Prime Minister (on his initiative) or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (in consultation with the competent public authority).

With respect to interdepartmental international treaties such powers can be vested, in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a competent authority, on the Deputy Ministers for Foreign Affairs, ambassadors and permanent representatives Belarus in international organizations.

In addition, the bill shortens and simplifies the procedure for completion of internal procedures in respect of international treaties.

Some of the issues associated with the conclusion of interdepartmental agreements have been amended and clarified. Thus, the bill suggests signing them in the form of an exchange of notes and codifies the practice of formalizing the MFA’s notifications for the entry into force of this category of agreements.