The paper considers the business environment in the context of socio-economic development of the Republic of Belarus. It is analyzed and evaluated the current state of the Belarusian business in terms of various criteria: activity objectives, ownership types, organizational and legal forms, size. In this paper aspects of transformation of property relations and other priorities of macroeconomic environment in the Republic of Belarus for a long, medium and short term are given. The paper is based on data in the Belarusian economy in 2012-2018. The raw data is extracted and processed by authors from the database of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus.

The 21st-century trend is the acceleration of scientific and technical progress in conditions of the amplifying competition between producers for free market niches and between countries for leadership. The ideal development model of the modern state is the economy based on knowledge and innovations. At the same time the human potential and other factors of competitive advantages, new technologies are actively involved in this economy. So, conditions for economic growth and life quality improvement are created. Innovative development demands an adequate financial base. Insufficient financing will cause difficulties in the realization of ideas which connected with the introduction of innovative technologies, the release of hi-tech production, the realization of scientific and technical state capacity. Finally, it may lead to technological lag against the increasing level of knowledge intensity in the word. Therefore, the problem of search for adequate innovative development financing becomes important both from the point of view of theoretical judgment and in practice. The purpose of the article is the identification of the place, role and value of the direct foreign investment of innovative development financing of the Republic of Belarus. The carriedout analysis has shown that foreign direct investments inflows differ in considerable fluctuations from year to year. Debt tools prevail in foreign direct investments inflows structure and the investment climate of the Republic of Belarus needs improvement. Dynamic of foreign direct investment inflows are presented in branch and regional section. It is offered to concentrate efforts on foreign direct investments attraction to the hi-tech sector development which is based on V and VI technological modes. It will allow not only to improve investment potential of Belarus but to carry out structural economic transformation on the innovative way. Authors connect further research prospects with studying how to activate scientific and technical international cooperation of the Republic of Belarus with foreign countries. The main interest is cooperation with leading countries in technological development to find out the opportunities of successful experience application in the organization of innovative development financing of the Republic of Belarus, including foreign direct investment inflows.

This paper is intended to investigate the current status and prospects of the development of an innovative environment for a knowledge-driven economy in Belarus. The estimation of the innovative environment is based on Belarusian official statistical indicators and state program documents. The results indicate the need to further improve the environment for the development of innovations in Belarus on the basis of the institutional framework formation for stimulating innovations. The new innovation coordination model in consideration of the “innovation council” is put forward with regard to Belarus. The authors take into consideration the accomplishment of the EU concept towards innovations driving a knowledge-driven economy. The substantial benefits for various Belarusian actors that could be ensured by the open innovative development are determined.

The aim of the paper is to assess the current state, problems and prospects for the development of foreign trade in the Republic of Belarus in the international business environment. The evaluation of foreign trade indicators is based on information from different sources and on comparative economic analysis research methods. Our results indicate the export-oriented economy of the Republic of Belarus, and its dependence on the state of foreign markets and the international business environment. The identified problems in the development of Belarusian merchandise exports are due to the orientation towards primary products, and to poor diversification of products and geographical destination. Particular attention is paid to the internal and external factors restraining exports from the Republic of Belarus. Further development requires the full use of the Belarusian export potential and the implementation of measures to promptly resolve the export difficulties on international markets that stem from internal and external factors.

The paper aims to identify the main trends and recommendations for the development of merchandise trade in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) integrating environment through the analysis of its mutual and foreign (internal and external) merchandise trade. The study is based on the official statistical data for 2014–2018 and economic comparisons and systematisation (including geographical systematisation). The results show that the intensification of mutual and foreign trade in the EAEU is possible by stimulating consumer and industrial demand, enhancing exports of high tech products and diversifying exports, and strengthening the cooperation within the EAEU and with other countries and integration associations.