MINSK, 27 June (BelTA) – First Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee Anatoly Linevich has been appointed Agriculture and Food Minister of Belarus. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has made the relevant personnel management decision, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “Vitebsk Oblast will remain in your care. There may be a small debt. I don’t know yet. We will go there with you and will find out together with [Chairman of the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee Aleksandr] Subbotin whether there are any debts or not, what has been done and what has not been done.”
The president drew attention to the work of agribusiness integration structures in the region and the organization of the harvesting campaign in the oblast.
“Speculations that the integration structures have ruined something are futile and meaningless. They are built in a way that prevents them from ruining anything. If they cannot do the job, we will dismantle them and everyone will gain nothing. If necessary, we will return [former Chairman of the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee Nikolai] Sherstnev and put him in charge of it. I mean he will not work as the oblast governor but in the advisory capacity. I will find everyone who rooted for these integration structures,” the head of state warned. “In other words, Vitebsk Oblast will remain in your care until a person is appointed in your stead and after that. So you will stay there although you are going away.”
“I would very much want you to succeed. I will help you by all means. You know the tasks that the country has to accomplish in the field of agriculture,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.
The president instructed to get Leonid Zayats involved in this work. He is a former deputy prime minister and a current member of the upper chamber of the Belarusian parliament. He will have to oversee not only the matters of land amelioration that he has inherited. He will help the new minister with other areas as long as this assistance is needed. His knowledge and experience will come in handy.
“Keep in mind that you don’t harvest crops and don’t sow them. Your job is primarily new technologies. Keep bringing new technologies into the country. While oblast governors should take care of sowing and harvesting. This is why bring new technologies and oversee the observance of these technologies. You know the bottlenecks,” the president stressed. “Why did I choose you among a bunch of candidates for the ministerial job? The fact that you’ve worked as an executive in agriculture and you were quite good at it, that you’ve worked in decent agricultural enterprises was the decisive one. It is a great advantage of yours.”
Speaking about the former Agriculture and Food Minister Sergei Bartosh, the head state gave instructions to submit proposals on his future employment. The former minister will be assigned to a new job.
