Commentary to Decree No. 13 of 18 January 2016

    Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has approved the schemes of complex territorial organization of oblasts and the layouts of Zhabinka (the satellite town of Brest), Skidel (the satellite town of Grodno), and Dzerzhinsk, Zaslavl, Logoisk, Rudensk, Smolevichi, and Fanipol (the satellite towns of Minsk). The head of state signed corresponding Decree No. 13 on 18 January.

    The schemes take into account the peculiarities of every oblast included in the rational models of territorial organization. They determine major planning axes and population centers which shape the internal structure of regions. The document also specified the priorities of the social and economic development of certain territories, the engineering, technical and transport infrastructure, envisages the creation of an optimal system of especially protected natural sites of nationwide and regional importance and the development of tourism.

    The press release of the press service reads that the efforts to invigorate satellite towns will promote the comprehensive development of central cities with the help of the social infrastructure of satellite towns, improve the investment environment in Minsk and oblast capitals by expanding the range of available investment grounds, provide access to personnel resources, the transport and engineering infrastructure.