Lukashenko meets with Tyva Republic head
Welcoming his guest, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the delegation of Tyva is visiting Belarus for the first time, so he called this day historic. The visit implies seriousness of intentions in the development of co-operation with Minsk.
The Head of State stressed, “I am convinced that your visit is a landmark event that will enable us to jointly open new horizons of co-operation. This should be necessarily done in the name of our fraternal peoples. I hope so very much and I am convinced that it will be so… We need to lay a strong foundation for our co-operation.”
The President noted that the figures of foreign trade between Belarus and the Republic of Tyva are modest so far – for various reasons, though the potential is significant, “There is much to strive for. There is something to work on. I am convinced that the potential is huge, and we simply need a wish to realise our intentions. In the near future, we are ready to multiply our trading volumes – in the same way as you, I believe. However, to do this, we need to outline the main priorities. We are meeting for this purpose.”
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus is ready to promptly take any decisions necessary for development of co-operation. “You know our Belarusian-Russian policy and our attitude towards Russia. When taking decisions today, we will not go beyond the scopes which have been outlined jointly with the President of Russia. Well, if we come out for the better, I think the Russian leadership will welcome it,” he addressed the guests.
The Head of State believes that – taking into account the needs of the Republic of Tyva and Belarus’ industrial potential – it makes sense to pay special attention to mechanical engineering. “You know the level of our mechanical engineering industry. You can visit any enterprise; their doors are open for you. This might be a company from the defence (military-industrial complex) sphere, an agricultural or industrial enterprise, or any other. We have no secrets from you,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
The Head of State noted that the guests are aware of what Belarusian specialists can produce. This includes automotive, construction, road-building, agricultural and municipal machinery. Aleksandr Lukashenko proposed, “Look at these factories. If you are satisfied with their products, we are ready to fully follow our agreements.”
The President added that he quite often discusses the prospects of development of industrial co-operation, technology transfer and exports of services with his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin. The country can interact with Tyva in these areas as well – in particular, in food production. However, preliminary work is necessary to make this possible. “It is extremely important ... In order to cultivate agricultural products, it is necessary to know the specific potential of the land where you live. We are ready to work with you in this regard,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said, recalling co-operation with the Sakhalin Region where Belarusian specialists helped build and organise the work of a large agricultural enterprise. The latter is now quite successfully operating. “Tyva is halfway to Sakhalin, and we can easily share our best agricultural practices with you,” he added.
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the topic of technology transfer is not confined only to the sphere of agriculture and processing of agricultural products, “This also refers to industry, knowledge-based industries. We are ready to propose you everything you need, everything you will see (maybe not today, and you will come here again). We will be able to make an agreement.”
The President proposed to consider the prospects of co-operation in road construction. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, a great potential of this branch of the Belarusian economy and construction in general is due to the fact that there was no landslide privatisation in Belarus. “We have preserved large construction trusts. Do you remember that, in Soviet times, there were construction trusts? Any industrial enterprise, a residential building, anything could be built from scratch. This also concerns roads. At present, these large state-owned companies, trusts oversee the construction process, including in relation to roads, industrial facilities and residential buildings. It is our advantage that we have managed to preserve these trusts, workers and companies,” he noted.
According to the Head of State, several facilities in the Russian Federation – which construction may involve large Belarusian enterprises – are currently being considered. Tyva can also take a closer look at this experience. The President said, “I know that, in 2021, construction the Ak-Suga mining and processing plant began in your region. Our specialists could help in creating the necessary transport infrastructure, if you need it.”
During his talk with the guests, Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned Tyva’s unique nature, saying, “This indicates that we simply must develop tourism between Belarus and Tyva. Tourist ties need to be improved.”
The Head of State continued, “I am convinced that we enjoy great opportunities for strengthening our friendship and co-operation in science, education, culture, and the information sphere. Of course, we need to talk more about Tyva, so that we learn not only from Russian channels that such a beauty exists, but also so that your presence in Belarus is ensured, and Belarus is present in your information space.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko congratulated the guests on the upcoming Lunar New Year. This holiday is called Shagaa and is widely celebrated in Tyva on February 2nd.
