President makes personnel decisions

    On 20 February President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed decree to appoint Major General Dmitry Pakhmelkin Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus.

    The head of state also signed decrees to relieve a number of military officials of their posts.

    Major General Sergei Lemeshevsky was relieved of his post of the Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus for the subsequent dismissal from military service.

    Colonel Oleg Gorbach was relieved of the post of the head of the National Agency for Control and Inspections and is placed at the disposal of the Minister of Defence.

    Major General Sergei Gureyev was relieved of the post of the Deputy Interior Minister.