According to Belta.by, the decree - entitled "On countering doping in sport" - is designed to "prevent the use of substances and methods prohibited in sports, as well as measures of responsibility for violation of anti-doping rules".

Athletes who fail tests will reportedly be obliged to reimburse prize money and state funding and will be forced to return all state awards received for the "relevant" sports results. 

Federations found to have committed "systematic gross violations" of the anti-doping rules may be denied the right to receive state support and be exempt from taxes.

They may also be excluded from the "register of federations" for a period of up to two years. 

National teams within these sports may also suffer cuts in both number and funding.

The Government has also been "instructed to work out the issue of establishing criminal liability for the use of prohibited substances and methods, as well as for inducing athletes to violate anti-doping rules".

Belarus has a reputation for a poor record on doping. 

In athletics, shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk was stripped of gold medals won at the London 2012 Olympics and 2005 World Championships for separate failures.

Aksana Miankova has also been stripped of the hammer gold medal she won in Beijing in 2008 

Male hammer throwers Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan have also been implicated in failures.

Devyatovskiy was, nevertheless, still appointed President of the Belarus Athletes Federation.

Tsikhan, meanwhile, sits on the Executive Committee of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus, whose President is Lukashenko.

The nation is also among those suspended from weightlifting competitions after multiple failures.

Minsk is due to host the second edition of the European Games from June 14 to 30 next year.