MINSK, 6 December (BelTA) – The decline in the trade in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) affects the union's image, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with Governor of Russia's Irkutsk Oblast Sergei Levchenko on 6 December.
“Let's move is the direction that we chose in 2015: to boost the trade between Belarus and Irkutsk Oblast, and also between our country and Russia. We ourselves criticize our union, and now foreign countries have started to wonder what kind of economic union it is if our trade is declining. We ourselves understand that this is abnormal, but now others have started to criticize us and doubt the usefulness of our integration association,” the Belarusian leader noted.
The head of state stressed that Belarus is ready to step up its trade with Russia in general and Irkutsk Oblast in particular. “You just ask, and we will do anything that your region needs. We are competitive. Most importantly, we are able to compete with your Russian enterprises in terms of prices. Our enterprises are manageable. They do not operate in the red and keep track of their profits. However, there are other criteria. As for self-employed businessmen, unfortunately, profits are the only thing they care about. All other matters are of little interest to them,” Alexander Lukashenko said.
