MINSK, 14 January (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko appointed new ambassadors to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Israel and Cuba on 14 January, BelTA has learned.
Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Aleksei Bogdanov was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Kazakhstan. Pavel Utyupin, who previously held this position, was promoted to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, replacing Igor Nazaruk. Accordingly, the latter will serve as Permanent Plenipotentiary Representative of Belarus to the Statutory and Other Bodies of the CIS.
First Deputy Industry Minister Aleksandr Ogorodnikov will head up the Belarusian diplomatic mission in Uzbekistan. Former Healthcare Minister Dmitry Pinevich was named Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Azerbaijan
Vitaly Borchuk, Head of the Foreign Economic Relations Directorate at the Industry Ministry, will be sent to Latin America as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Cuba with concurrent accreditation to the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
Head of the Department of Information and Digital Diplomacy – Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anatoly Glaz was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Türkiye. The Belarusian diplomatic mission in Israel will be run by Head of the State Protocol Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yuri Yaroshevich.
The head of state asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Maksim Ryzhenkov about the reasons for picking these particular people. The foreign minister explained that these people were chosen for these important posts because of their vast experience.
“This appointment will be a serious step forward for them and an opportunity to prove themselves working independently abroad, Indeed, I need very competent, seasoned people in Türkiye, Israel, all the CIS countries, as well as Cuba,” the minister remarked.
According to Maksim Ryzhenkov, candidates were also selected for the vacancies in the MFA.
“Will it not hurt the Industry Ministry if we take away promising people from there?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked the head of the Belarus President Administration.
“Today, the Industry Ministry is on track to fulfill all its tasks and implement investment projects. It is in line with your instruction to expand relations with the CIS countries in addition to our key partners Russia and China. As far as the CIS is concerned, the big three are Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan,” said Dmitry Krutoi.
The head of state also asked the newly appointed diplomats how they see their work as heads of diplomatic missions.
Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Aleksei Bogdanov was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Kazakhstan. Pavel Utyupin, who previously held this position, was promoted to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, replacing Igor Nazaruk. Accordingly, the latter will serve as Permanent Plenipotentiary Representative of Belarus to the Statutory and Other Bodies of the CIS.
First Deputy Industry Minister Aleksandr Ogorodnikov will head up the Belarusian diplomatic mission in Uzbekistan. Former Healthcare Minister Dmitry Pinevich was named Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Azerbaijan
Vitaly Borchuk, Head of the Foreign Economic Relations Directorate at the Industry Ministry, will be sent to Latin America as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Cuba with concurrent accreditation to the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
Head of the Department of Information and Digital Diplomacy – Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anatoly Glaz was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Türkiye. The Belarusian diplomatic mission in Israel will be run by Head of the State Protocol Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yuri Yaroshevich.
The head of state asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Maksim Ryzhenkov about the reasons for picking these particular people. The foreign minister explained that these people were chosen for these important posts because of their vast experience.
“This appointment will be a serious step forward for them and an opportunity to prove themselves working independently abroad, Indeed, I need very competent, seasoned people in Türkiye, Israel, all the CIS countries, as well as Cuba,” the minister remarked.
According to Maksim Ryzhenkov, candidates were also selected for the vacancies in the MFA.
“Will it not hurt the Industry Ministry if we take away promising people from there?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked the head of the Belarus President Administration.
“Today, the Industry Ministry is on track to fulfill all its tasks and implement investment projects. It is in line with your instruction to expand relations with the CIS countries in addition to our key partners Russia and China. As far as the CIS is concerned, the big three are Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan,” said Dmitry Krutoi.
The head of state also asked the newly appointed diplomats how they see their work as heads of diplomatic missions.
“I see my task in increasing the export of Belarusian products so that it will exceed $1 billion. Our trade in 2021 totaled over $1 billion and today amounts to $1.1-1.2 billion, but our export is still stuck at $800-900 million. We need to ramp it up,” answered Aleksei Bogdanov, who will head the Belarusian embassy in Kazakhstan.
“Are there any reserves to achieve this?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked.
Aleksei Bogdanov suggested scaling up joint production of tractors and combine harvesters. According to him, MAZ, Mogilevliftmash and Bobruiskagromash should step up their presence in Kazakhstan.
“We will attend to it. We also need to increase the supply of Belarusian foodstuffs, including halal products. And, of course, politics, culture, sports also remain on the agenda. No avenue of cooperation will be deprioritized,” the diplomat said.
The head of the Belarus President Administration added that Belarus can tap into inter-regional contacts with Kazakhstan.
“Kazakhstan will buy everything from us if it is good value for money. They prioritize good quality,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “Not only Russia and Belarus are fighting for this market, but also the West and the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, our only path forward is tapping into cooperation with regions. We should build relations with certain people and local officials.”
The president noted that a similar policy should be pursued in Uzbekistan. “We have very good relations with President Mirziyoyev. We should expand our presence there. I am sure that this country offers a lot of opportunities,” the Belarusian leader said.
Belarus also maintains close relations with Azerbaijan. The head of state is confident that the newly appointed Ambassador to Azerbaijan Dmitry Pinevich will be able to inject new energy into bilateral economic cooperation. “As a president, I will support any proposal coming from you. He [the president of Azerbaijan] is a great friend of our state, we have always had good relations with him and his father,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“The same applies to other countries. I don't know whether Yaroshevich will succeed in his work in Israel; his tenure won't be easy. But if he finds the right track, we will have good relations with Israel. The majority of people there value and respect Belarus. And there are plenty of our compatriots and their children there, who immigrated to this country,” the president said.
According to the head of state, relations with Türkiye lag behind their potential. “We had a direct dialogue and reached an agreement with the president of Türkiye regarding who does what. So far, we do not see much action on this front. They are not taking any steps, because we are not doing enough. Therefore, we need to take it up a notch. And when meeting with President Erdoğan during a short ceremony of presenting credentials we must say directly that we value relations with Türkiye very much, they are very important for us, but we are waiting for steps from them, because we have done everything we promised.”
Reviewing the general performance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the president noted that this year and throughout the five-year period, all people, including civil servants, will be required to show iron discipline and to take responsibility for their decisions. “Straighten things out at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It should be done in earnest, no nonsense. The people there are educated, smart; diplomats are not stupid people. You should be tough and demanding with your subordinates. This applies to everyone. There should be no laxity in the Administration, in the government, or in your ministry. If we stick to this approach, we will succeed,” the Belarusian leader remarked.
Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that the main task for the foreign policy is to promote trade and economic relations: “If you succeed in it, it is good. If you fail, you should not work there. As simple as that.”
Aleksei Bogdanov suggested scaling up joint production of tractors and combine harvesters. According to him, MAZ, Mogilevliftmash and Bobruiskagromash should step up their presence in Kazakhstan.
“We will attend to it. We also need to increase the supply of Belarusian foodstuffs, including halal products. And, of course, politics, culture, sports also remain on the agenda. No avenue of cooperation will be deprioritized,” the diplomat said.
The head of the Belarus President Administration added that Belarus can tap into inter-regional contacts with Kazakhstan.
“Kazakhstan will buy everything from us if it is good value for money. They prioritize good quality,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “Not only Russia and Belarus are fighting for this market, but also the West and the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, our only path forward is tapping into cooperation with regions. We should build relations with certain people and local officials.”
The president noted that a similar policy should be pursued in Uzbekistan. “We have very good relations with President Mirziyoyev. We should expand our presence there. I am sure that this country offers a lot of opportunities,” the Belarusian leader said.
Belarus also maintains close relations with Azerbaijan. The head of state is confident that the newly appointed Ambassador to Azerbaijan Dmitry Pinevich will be able to inject new energy into bilateral economic cooperation. “As a president, I will support any proposal coming from you. He [the president of Azerbaijan] is a great friend of our state, we have always had good relations with him and his father,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“The same applies to other countries. I don't know whether Yaroshevich will succeed in his work in Israel; his tenure won't be easy. But if he finds the right track, we will have good relations with Israel. The majority of people there value and respect Belarus. And there are plenty of our compatriots and their children there, who immigrated to this country,” the president said.
According to the head of state, relations with Türkiye lag behind their potential. “We had a direct dialogue and reached an agreement with the president of Türkiye regarding who does what. So far, we do not see much action on this front. They are not taking any steps, because we are not doing enough. Therefore, we need to take it up a notch. And when meeting with President Erdoğan during a short ceremony of presenting credentials we must say directly that we value relations with Türkiye very much, they are very important for us, but we are waiting for steps from them, because we have done everything we promised.”
Reviewing the general performance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the president noted that this year and throughout the five-year period, all people, including civil servants, will be required to show iron discipline and to take responsibility for their decisions. “Straighten things out at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It should be done in earnest, no nonsense. The people there are educated, smart; diplomats are not stupid people. You should be tough and demanding with your subordinates. This applies to everyone. There should be no laxity in the Administration, in the government, or in your ministry. If we stick to this approach, we will succeed,” the Belarusian leader remarked.
Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that the main task for the foreign policy is to promote trade and economic relations: “If you succeed in it, it is good. If you fail, you should not work there. As simple as that.”
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