MINSK, 17 September (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko described the state of the economy as the most important factor to be kept in mind when developing the country. He made this statement at a meeting with members of the expert community engaged in ideological work to mark Day of People’s Unity, BelTA has learned.
Olga Chemodanova, Chairperson of the Belarusian party Belaya Rus, expressed the view that today the powerful of the world don’t like a sovereign Belarus that pursues a peaceful policy and a socially oriented state model. “We understand that we’ll face an intense political struggle for people’s minds. The nearest prospects are the electoral campaigns of 2029 and 2030,” she said. In this context, the party leader asked Aleksandr Lukashenko about risks and challenges that lie ahead.
“I won't even spend a lot of time discussing this - the economy. The economy is the most important thing,” the Belarusian leader stated.
The head of state recalled decisions to attract foreign workers to address certain labor shortages in Belarus. He also referred to the situation with the potato shortage in the spring of this year, when part of the crop was exported abroad for higher prices, while some organizations held back supplies in storage. As a result, the issue was partially artificial. “We went through the warehouses and found the potatoes. Maybe they were going to sell them later or maybe they were holding on to them for some reason. We also monitored prices. We firmly put an end to it, and then the potatoes reappeared,” the head of state noted.
As a result, this year, the sown area was expanded and a good harvest was reaped, which must now be preserved using all necessary technologies.
“We got through it. But this should not happen again. That is why the economy must work. Give me a strong economy, and I will take care of the rest.. I will not stand aside,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.
He also drew attention to the situation in the manufacturing industry with production and exports, noting that the indicators in this area have declined. “I gave the prime minister a personal instruction. We need to overcome this. We visited Africa, and it turned out they wanted to buy our equipment,” the president said.
The head of state pointed out that many African countries, due to their colonial past, prefer to cooperate with smaller but technologically advanced states such as Belarus, rather than with larger powers. For example, a significant amount of joint work to strengthen food security in Zimbabwe still lies ahead, as Aleksandr Lukashenko recently discussed with that country’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“We need to take action, we need to cooperate with them. The president opened the door for you - now it’s your turn to act. We need to trade. We need to sort things out in the manufacturing industry. And, of course, the domestic market. Our light industry has also started to decline. We will gather soon to address it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded.
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