Belarus President makes new appointments

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made new appointments on 2 April.

The head of state appointed Anatoly Khotko Agriculture and Food Minister.

The President also approved the appointment of Aleksandr Titok as Chairman of the Shklov District Executive Committee.

The head of state said that he made the decision taking into account Anatoly Khotko’s work experience in the agricultural sector and his expertise in cattle breeding. “All your career is connected with animal husbandry. You have majored in agriculture. As I was briefed, you were doing pretty well at the previous post. Keeping in mind your expertise and the problems we have in agriculture today, I decided to appoint you to the post of agriculture and food minister,” the President said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also outlined the issues for the new minister to focus on. “You know that crop production is well-developed in the country. As for cattle breeding which means the production of milk and meat, we have a lot of problems here. If cattle breeding is poor, there is no need in plant industry,” the President said. The head of state urged the new minister to focus on the development of animal husbandry in the first place.

Announcing the appointment, the President mentioned Aleksandr Titok’s work experience: “The fact that you worked as chairman of the district executive committee appeals to me. You have also got experience in the mitigation of the Chernobyl aftermath. You know the situation and the governance system. I hope that while working in the Emergencies Ministry you hit the stride in what concerns discipline and order. This is something we lack in the agricultural sector and in Shklov District in particular.”

The head of state stressed that Shklov District is one of the leading districts both in Mogilev Oblast and the country. "This is the so-called experimental site for agriculture. In my opinion, everything necessary has been done for a proper organization of the district. Perhaps, you will need to do a little more, if necessary, in terms of optimization and organization of agricultural production on a regional scale,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko. In his opinion, the lack of discipline remains one of the key problems for Mogilev Oblast and Shklov District. “The region needs a skilled person with a cool head, a warm heart and, most importantly, clean hands,” said the President.

However, the head of state warned the new head of the district against taking hasty decisions. “Before you do something, you have to think it through. This is the principle of any executive. I want you to sort out personnel issues in Shklov District and gradually take appropriate decisions if necessary,” the President stressed.

Aleksandr Lukashenko made a special emphasis on the inadmissibility of attempts of whitewashing at any level. “I do not have to go anywhere to know what is going on in a particular sector or a particular enterprise. It is enough for me to analyze indicators,” he said.