MINSK, 19 January (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia must first and foremost rely on their own resources, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting with Kirov Oblast Governor Alexander Sokolov on 19 January, BelTA has learned.
“We are sailing in the same boat. Therefore, as Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and I agreed, we must rely on our own, regardless of whether there are sanctions,” the head of state emphasized.
In this context, Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned U.S. President Donald Trump and his bluntness. “Look, he openly says: ‘We need Venezuela because it has oil. We need Greenland because it is important for defense, and it has rare earth metals, oil, gas – everything is there.’ He says it openly. Diplomats don’t accept that. Nor do I. You should keep quiet about the oil, say instead that there are drug cartels there and you fight against them. But he says it outright: he needs oil. ‘And if you Europeans don’t buy ours, you’re finished, we’ll crush you all, and so on.’ It is open,” the Belarusian leader noted.
“And we are afraid of something. What is there to fear? We need to work, including with the people of Kirov Oblast, so that people can buy our products, and the quality and price are acceptable for them. Not just to shove it at them. There are no fools today,” the president remarked.
He pointed out that Belarus produces a wide range of high-quality products, which are confirmed by the state. Each year, the State Quality Award is given in Belarus and this year nominees were also determined. Among them is the BelGee car, which is one of the leaders in sales in Russia. “So, we have something to buy. Certainly, the wealthy will still strive to buy a Mercedes or an Audi. Fine, let them: they have the money. But for the average Russian and Belarusian, or those below average, we created this people’s car. I dreamed of it. We created a good car. We have something to sell, and we can sell it. We must rely on our own. Because we can quickly jump from the frying pan into the fire, but how do we get out afterward? That is why we must produce our own,” the head of state insisted.
According to the president, there are also good examples of joint Belarus-Russia production: in shipbuilding, aircraft construction (the aircraft Osvei), and the military-industrial complex.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that under no circumstances should dependence on others be allowed. “There are very few friends around. And there are also certain problems. The Venezuelans were never our enemies. But [how can we help] at such a distance… We are now thinking how to help and not abandon that country, because friends must not be lost. And here, nearby, we must protect our own space more reliably. We must be more active here,” the president said.
“There are still a number of problems that need to be solved. But President Putin and I will address them. The main thing is that governors and enterprise leaders understand: we must rely on our own resources. As for technologies, listen: we have a lot of them, even those from Soviet times that we simply discarded and forgot in our rush to move towards the West. But now we realize that we have perfectly good technologies. They are still relevant and useful today, and we should make use of them. We must produce our own. We can ensure our independence in practically all areas,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.
As an example of successful cooperation with Russia in import substitution, the president cited the microelectronics industry, which is in demand both in military and civilian equipment.
“We must endure these hard times,” the Belarusian leader stressed.
“If there is an economy, we are able to fight, to defend ourselves, to feed and clothe our people. Without an economy, there is no work for the people. But most importantly, there is no spirit among the people. We will endure everything else: frosts, snow, drifts. We have enough of everything,” the president noted.
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