The President of the Republic of Belarus by the Edict of April 5, 2006, No 204 approved the Regulations on granting refuge, its loss and deprivation and other matters of residence of foreign citizens and stateless persons in the Republic of Belarus. 

The new Regulations describe matters on which refuge cannot be granted to a foreigner in Belarus. Refugee status cannot be granted to foreigners suspected of having committed crimes against peace and humanity war crimes and serious (nonpolitical) crime before entering the territory of Belarus or guilty of committing other wrongdoings against purposes and principles of the United Nations. The refuge cannot be also granted to foreigners that have the citizenship of a third state where they are not persecuted for political, religious conviction or nationality, or if they have lost the refugee status in Belarus.

According to the Regulations, documents for obtaining refugee status in Belarus are introduced by the Ministry of the Internal Affairs to the Commission of the Citizenship Matters of the President of the Republic of Belarus. This should reduce by one month the period of consideration for providing the refuge in Belarus.

The document specifies legal status of a refugee and members of his/her family, grounds for the loss and deprive of refuge in Belarus and its procedure. By the new Regulations the President of the Republic of Belarus has the right to deprive of the refugee status.

By the Edict of the President of the Republic of Belarus of April 4, 2006 No 202, instruments and equipment imported in Belarus for the scientific, research and innovation activities are exempted from customs duty and from value added tax. The Edict also establishes the procedure for granting certificate of conformance for the mentioned instruments and equipment.

The President of the Republic of Belarus by the Edict of April 4, 2006, No 189 established zero rate of customs duty for imported technological equipment for the next nine months of this year.

The document includes a list of the goods, which can be imported to Belarus at zero rate of customs duty. If this equipment is used not for the declared purpose, the full rate of customs duty should be applied.

On April 10, 2006 the President of the Republic of Belarus issued the Edict, No 210 on the import quota for textured polyester threads.

The document was signed with the purpose to protect domestic manufacturers of textured polyester threads. This quota is established for 4 years from April 1, 2006 in the following amount:

in 2006 - 1237,5 tons;
in 2007 - 1650 tons;
in 2008 - 1650 tons;
in 2009 - 1650 tons;
in 2010 - 1650 tons.

The established quota is not applied to imported textured polyester threads, produced on the territory of the states which signed the Agreement of Creation of Free Trade Zone of April 15, 1994 and of the states which signed the Agreement of the Customs Union and Common Free Market Zone from February 26, 1999.

The new Trade Agreement between the Republic of Belarus and Bosnia and Herzegovina has entered into force on January 1, 2006. Both states establish most-favored-nation treatment for customs duty and fees; for the procedure of customs registration, transit, warehousing and loading of exported and imported goods and their payment method; for taxes and sales of imported goods on the domestic market of both countries.

Belarus and Bosnia and Herzegovina have also agreed to facilitate cooperation between their banks.