"Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Ling discussed the issue with a delegation from associations of Lithuania's Belarusian community in Minsk on October 1 [1999]. Mr Ling promised to render assistance to the Francisak Skaryna Secondary School, the only school with instruction in Belarusian in the Baltics."
"As Galina Sivolova, the school's head, told BelaPAN, 174 pupils from Vilnius and suburbs study at the school at present. The school has been granting school-leaving certificates to its pupils for the last five years. Subjects are tought in Belarusian and Lithuanian. There are 30 teachers from Belarus, Germany, Lithuania, and Russia on the school's staff. Next year, the school plans to specialize in ecology, modern languages, and the humanities."
"Ms. Sivolova expressed gratitude to Vladimir Yermoshin, chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee, for donating a minivan, 13 computers, equipment for the Belarusian-language room, books, and other training aids to the school during the visit of Lithuanian Belarusians to Minsk. Ms. Sivolova expressed hope that school teachers will soon be have an opportunity to improve their skills in Belarus and pupils will be invited to go on tour to Belarus."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 33; Friday, October 8, 1999; 3:10 p.m.
"According to the Council of Ministers press office, the delegation told Mr. Ling about the development of Vilnius' only Belarusian-language school and requested assistance in equipping classrooms and building a gym."
"The prime minister assured the delegation that the Ministry of Education and other appropriate agencies would take measures to solve all problems mentioned during the meeting. According to Mr. Ling, the Council of Ministers has already issued a resolution to provide the Vilnius school with support."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 5; Friday, October 1, 1999; 7:30 p.m.
"According to Ms Surmach, the Mayu Gonar association headed by Vyachko Telesh, an artist from Riga, which represents Belarusian artists living in the Baltics, is actively involved in the cultural life of ethnic Belarusians."
"Speaking on the Belarusian community's other cultural undertakings, Ms Surmach mentioned the Belarusian newspaper Run distributed in Vilnius. According to her, participants at the Second Convention of Belarusians of the Baltic States suggested that the newspaper be published for Belarusians living in the Baltics."
Source: BelaPAN, No. 101; Thursday, July 30, 1998; 03:20 p.m.