Aleksandr Lukashenko holds meeting on of potash fertilizers
President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko held a meeting with the working group on the sale of potash fertilizers on 27 May.
The meeting focused on the issues, trends and prospects of the national fertilizer producers, especially OAO Belaruskali.
“You know that in due time we set up a joint venture to sell potash fertilizer – the Belarusian Potash Company. The company was set up at my urging, because I saw how inefficient the sale chain was. It involved some crooks who were sitting in a three-room apartment in Moscow selling millions of tonnes of potash fertilizer and, as it turned out later, raking in billions of dollars,” said the head of state.
The President noted that the establishment of the potash company jointly with the Russian Federation gave positive results. Now it holds more than 40% of the market for potash fertilizer, and is respected by all players on the global market.
“But, as always, a number of issues arise, especially when it comes to cooperation with other foreign companies, and these problems aggravate when it is private companies on the other end. A private company counts money, tries to save on every cent. Moreover, a private company is capable of some other things that we call unfair competition, manipulation, and so on. Therefore, on the one hand, cooperation with a private company makes sense. On the other hand, it creates certain problems,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The President believes that it is necessary to make one more step towards the strengthening of the Belarusian-Russian cooperation in part of sale of potash fertilizer, promoting the single channel of trade in potash fertilizer.
In this regard an independent commission has been set up. It will work out all the issues and submit proposals to the Belarusian head of state. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, at a recent meeting the shareholder of OAO Uralkali Suleiman Kerimov expressed a request that the commission should be unbiased and supervised by someone "very influential". The President appointed Chairman of the State Security Committee of Belarus Valery Vakulchik and Assistant to the President on National Security Viktor Lukashenko as supervisors. They will not intervene in the work of the commission but will ensure that it is unbiased and independent.
The commission will be headed by Chairman of the Board of OAO Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Rumas. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, this is the man who can count money, analyze, forecast, and has extensive knowledge in the economy.
The President invited the meeting participants to consider the most pressing issues of cooperation between Belaruskali, Belarusian Potash Company and Uralkali on behalf of Russia.
“I want you to understand that many channels in trade are worse than one channel. If you offer a second channel, then this should be justified and advantageous to us. But I am still a supporter of a powerful channel where the parity of interests will be ensured and where our interests will not be ignored. This is what we have agreed with the head of Uralkali,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
The meeting focused on the issues, trends and prospects of the national fertilizer producers, especially OAO Belaruskali.
“You know that in due time we set up a joint venture to sell potash fertilizer – the Belarusian Potash Company. The company was set up at my urging, because I saw how inefficient the sale chain was. It involved some crooks who were sitting in a three-room apartment in Moscow selling millions of tonnes of potash fertilizer and, as it turned out later, raking in billions of dollars,” said the head of state.
The President noted that the establishment of the potash company jointly with the Russian Federation gave positive results. Now it holds more than 40% of the market for potash fertilizer, and is respected by all players on the global market.
“But, as always, a number of issues arise, especially when it comes to cooperation with other foreign companies, and these problems aggravate when it is private companies on the other end. A private company counts money, tries to save on every cent. Moreover, a private company is capable of some other things that we call unfair competition, manipulation, and so on. Therefore, on the one hand, cooperation with a private company makes sense. On the other hand, it creates certain problems,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The President believes that it is necessary to make one more step towards the strengthening of the Belarusian-Russian cooperation in part of sale of potash fertilizer, promoting the single channel of trade in potash fertilizer.
In this regard an independent commission has been set up. It will work out all the issues and submit proposals to the Belarusian head of state. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, at a recent meeting the shareholder of OAO Uralkali Suleiman Kerimov expressed a request that the commission should be unbiased and supervised by someone "very influential". The President appointed Chairman of the State Security Committee of Belarus Valery Vakulchik and Assistant to the President on National Security Viktor Lukashenko as supervisors. They will not intervene in the work of the commission but will ensure that it is unbiased and independent.
The commission will be headed by Chairman of the Board of OAO Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Rumas. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, this is the man who can count money, analyze, forecast, and has extensive knowledge in the economy.
The President invited the meeting participants to consider the most pressing issues of cooperation between Belaruskali, Belarusian Potash Company and Uralkali on behalf of Russia.
“I want you to understand that many channels in trade are worse than one channel. If you offer a second channel, then this should be justified and advantageous to us. But I am still a supporter of a powerful channel where the parity of interests will be ensured and where our interests will not be ignored. This is what we have agreed with the head of Uralkali,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.