MINSK, 8 December (BelTA) – The introduction of reciprocal sanctions against the European Union and the USA by Belarus came as an unexpected blow. Aleksei Avdonin, an analyst with the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research (BISR), made the statement on the air of the Belarusian radio station Alfa Radio, BelTA has learned.
The website sb.by quotes the expert as saying: “It is important to understand it bearing in mind the import substitution decisions that have been made and have been contemplated by the government. There are plans to implement about 47 relevant programs in order to generate merchandise output to the tune of $9 billion. In other words, all our opponents will not get this sum. We will generate these goods and the added value ourselves.”
Aleksei Avdonin believes it is important for Belarusian retail chains to embrace the policy the Belarusian government pursues and to work towards import substitution. Belarusian products must occupy the shelves in Belarusian shops. Aleksei Avdonin noted that the West had embraced the policy of sanctions partially due to the overproduction crisis.
Aleksei Avdonin went on saying: “It is a typical crisis of any capitalistic model. When they upgraded equipment, they had to fire a huge number of people. The machines started making many more products. But buyers are in short supply since everyone has enough of their own products. In other words, the sanctions represent a way to protect one's own market in order to live through the period of overproduction and financial crisis.”
Aleksei Avdonin believes that Belarus' countersanctions against the European Union and the USA came as an unexpected blow. “The Western powers-that-be thought they were strong, that the sanctions will be unilateral. It is a stereotypical thinking that does not expect that the small country of Belarus may come forward with such a challenge for the collective West. Like ‘How dare they enforce reciprocal sanctions and restrict the market?' It is basically a murder for them. But in reality we replace their products with similar ones,” he summed it up.
