Aleksandr Lukashenko on West, US interest in Belarus: if we agree, we’ll liaise
The President of Belarus convened a meeting on foreign trade activities

At the beginning of the event, the Head of State explained that the discussion would focus on Belarus’ foreign trade this year, including the fact that the West does not want to liaise with our country in the economic sphere.
“We understand perfectly well that they have absolutely no need for us with our products. Unnecessary competition in the automotive industry and other sectors is not on the agenda of Western countries, at the instigation of the US. It is no secret that today we trade most of all in the eastern direction, although we are not completely moving away from the West. We trade and sell what interests them and what is profitable for us, but it is not the necessary volumes and money,” the President noted.The Head of State said that as of today the Belarusian side had received four or five invitations from eastern states, including Pakistan, Indonesia, North Korea and others, to meet at the highest level and discuss co-operation, “There are fundamental issues that need to be settled. This concerns mutual settlements, supplies of our military products, firefighting equipment, etc. That’s why I have invited you to discuss this range and areas of our co-operation, the things that interest our partners in the East. Although we will not say that Venezuela in the West does not want to liaise with us. Of course, it does.”
The Head of State said that due to the sanctions imposed by the West, Belarus is now developing economic relations mainly with the countries of the East. However, many business circles in the West, even in the United States, have an interest in co-operation with Belarus.
“We’ll wait. We are conducting a dialogue with them, negotiating with the West in areas of our interest. If we reach an agreement, we will liaise. But it should be based on the interests of our state and the priorities that we have set.
There’s nothing to hide, Syria is offering us co-operation and asking that our officials come and decide on areas. Afghanistan is also keen on our goods. The situation in both countries is not easy. I will not name other African states lest the ‘falcons’ pounce on them and start putting pressure on them. But there are dozens of countries that are willing to liaise with us with pleasure. Do we need it? We do. Will we be able to meet their demands? It’s hard to say. We don’t have such a huge economy. But we’ll move, so let’s discuss a set of these issues.”
PM: European business keen to work with Belarus
Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko told reporters that the conversation at the meeting was mainly about the tactics of work in certain areas of our foreign economic activity, “It is no secret, and the President said so, that there is a pool of countries, and it is not small, which are interested, as we are, in developing bilateral relations across all sectors: from military-technical co-operation to investment, banking and so on. Between these points lies a large layer of trade, investment, joint projects, etc. Many of them are complex and strategic in nature. Therefore, all structures of power and management are involved, from law enforcers to financiers. Today we’ve discussed in detail the building of relations with a number of such states, our partners in the African and Asian regions, and the specific tactical tasks to be solved by both the civilian and security forces in the near future in order to get a clear and expected effect from this.”The President also said that there have already been a significant number of invitations both at the Presidential and government levels for mutual visits this year.
As for building relations with Western countries, Mr. Golovchenko noted that it is difficult to make accurate forecasts, because it does not depend on us,
“The President has repeatedly said that we are ready to revive or resume full-fledged economic co-operation with the West at any moment. They don’t need it now, they want to overpay to the detriment of their economy for some mythical values, let it be so. Trade turnover with the European Union and the West as a whole is carried out on those positions that are not in the sphere of sanctions, and re-exports are taking place somewhere, and through other channels. I want to say one thing: European business is interested in working with us.We receive not just signals, but quite specific proposals for work. And where it is profitable and possible for us, we will, of course, implement them. I am sure that sooner or later our co-operation will resume. The sooner this happens, the less all the parties involved will suffer.”
Localisation and development of competencies
President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the Minsk City Technopark which was set up on the site of MotoVeloZavod thanks to the Head of State’s order. For now about 70 tenants and 26 residents are carrying out production activities here.The theme of investment and development remains under the control of the Head of State. Last week, the President visited the Minsk City Technopark — that was established precisely at his directive — to personally assess the implementation of this investment project, crucial not only for the capital city. Back in the day, the Belarusian leader set a fundamental task to preserve not only MotoVeloZavod but also other Belarusian industrial brands. With each passing year, we become increasingly more convinced that this was an absolutely correct strategy.
President Aleksandr Lukashenko familiarised himself with the exhibition of products manufactured by the technopark’s resident companies, monitored the progress of the site’s reconstruction, visited several enterprises, and outlined clear objectives for the industry — localisation and development of competencies. “MAZ, BELAZ, MotoVeloZavod, and other enterprises are the brands of our country. They represent our schools and competencies. We must develop what we know how to do and what has already been accomplished. We know how to achieve this,” concluded the President.Aleksandr Lukashenko also shared plans to establish around five more technoparks in Minsk over the next five-year period due to the relevance and efficacy of this approach to developing the manufacturing sector.
Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that many industrial schools and competencies were once preserved in the country and emphasised, “Localisation is the important issue for us. This is not just an image project. We manufactured tractors in the Soviet years, vehicles (MAZs), bicycles, motorbikes — yes, image. But what is the essence of the problem. We’ve agreed that we need to develop our schools. What we inherited from those generations should not only be preserved, but also developed and modernised. We have followed this path, and in this regard, MotoVeloZavod has been included in this list. We need to develop what we know how to do and what we have already done. And we know how to do it.”
The President recalled various milestones in the plant’s development, some of them were not really fine. At the same time, the Head of State stressed that nobody in the country would be strangled if a company owner treats people according to the law — be it a businessman or a state-owned enterprise.
"We are not going to strangle anyone, and there is actually no need in this since no great quality can be achieved under pressure in prison. Therefore, if you hear someone saying that ‘there is a dictatorship here, that people are being ruined’, then — no: it is not true either about a private owner, or a state-owned enterprise. The main thing is that they treat my people humanly. People are mine. They are part of statehood,” the Head of State said.
According to the President, five new technoparks will appear in Minsk over the next five years.
The Head of State noted, “Now we (the Minsk City Executive Committee) are planning to set up five technoparks in the capital. At the Horizon Plant, as we used to call it, we will develop the appropriate high-tech production with less ‘hardware’ and more ‘brains’. There will be different technoparks, so we will definitely have five of them in Minsk over the next five years.”
Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by