Meeting with EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti

Belarus will always be a reliable partner for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti on 4 March.

The head of state emphasized that Belarus will always honor its commitments to the bank. Aleksandr Lukashenko thanked the EBRD top management for their attention to the country. The cooperation between the country and the Bank intensified considerably last year, the EBRD investment doubled.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized the EBRD role in implementing vital projects that have an impact on the quality of life. “I would like to mention the projects that have to do with housing and utilities, quality of drinking water (it is very important for us), road construction, repair of bridges, which is a burning issue in many our communities. These projects are vitally important for our state,” the President noted.

The head of state assured that the EBRD recommendations, suggestions and assistance in privatization processes are of great importance; so is the support for SMEs  on the part of the Bank. “The state did not have an opportunity to provide this kind of support. You came to Belarus and upheld our entrepreneurs. This is a great contribution to the future of Belarus,”Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian President suggested holding the Annual Meeting of the EBRD Board of Governors in Belarus in 2022 and pledged to organize this event at the highest level.

Suma Chakrabarti thanked the Belarusian President for the good words: “It is a great pleasure and honor for me to be here. This is our third meeting and I would like to take part in such meetings more often, because our relations are steadily growing stronger.