Aleksandr Lukashenko makes new appointments
On 10 September President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko made several personnel decisions. The head of state appointed:
Sergei Rachkov Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Egypt, Resident Representative of the Republic of Belarus in the League of Arab States;
Vladimir Skvortsov Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Israel;
Marina Dolgopolova Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Latvia;
Anatoly Nichkasov Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Kazakhstan;
Oleg Tabanyukhov Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Turkmenistan;
Nikolai Klakevich Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Uzbekistan;
Alexander Ostrovsky Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Finland;
Vyacheslav Beskosty Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Cote d'Ivoire (concurrent accreditation);
Roman Golovchenko Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Qatar with concurrent accreditation to Kuwait;
Vladimir Lopato-Zagorsky Resident Representative of the Republic of Belarus in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (concurrent accreditation);
Olga Dubanevich Chief Academic Secretary of the Supreme Personnel Review Board.
The President also approved the appointment of:
Valery Matsel as Consul General of the Republic of Belarus in the city of Shanghai (the People’s Republic of China);
Viktor Saverchenko as Consul General of the Republic of Belarus in the city of New York (the United States of America);
Viktor Rodich as Chairman of the Ushachi District Executive Committee;
Oleg Maslak as Chairman of the Dribin District Executive Committee;
Alexander Yatsko as Deputy Culture Minister;
Igor Brylo as Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister;
Artur Karpovich as First Deputy Trade Minister;
Dmitry Chernyakov as Director of Gomel Chemical Plant;
Valery Dunai as Rector of the International Sakharov Environmental University;
Alexander Kovsh as member of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee.
Appointing the ambassadors, Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed their work must produce concrete results that will benefit the country not only in politics but primarily in economy.
The head of state remarked that he is going to meet with diplomatic workers in July 2014. “It will be a no-nonsense talk not only with you, who are appointed virtually one year ahead of the meeting, but those, who will be appointed in October-November,” said the President. “Today the Belarus President Administration has to determine serious criteria to judge the performance of ambassadors. It is necessary to work out these criteria and assess their performance over time. We don’t need many criteria but they should cover the main areas of their work”.
“It is clear that our political influence is not universal. And we don’t insist it has to be universal, we don’t pursue large-scale geopolitical goals. Our policy is absolutely pragmatic,” noted the head of state. "As for, let’s say, the post-Soviet space, our neighbors, then yes, our political influence is great. We should maintain our interaction, influence in diplomacy and politics at this level“.
Aleksandr Lukashenko also mentioned the importance of advancing political cooperation with countries like the People’s Republic of China and Venezuela. “Political matters are important here, too. But trade and economic relations are more important. They are the key things. Matters of trade, economy, investments and the rest are of utmost importance where we can and should play a politically important role,” said the Belarusian leader.
“I am trying to get you to understand that starting tomorrow you should get down to dealing with these matters and problems. I will hold the minister and the prime minister answerable for how the embassies abroad became primarily trade and economic representations, an umbrella for enterprises, ministries, and agencies working to sell our products abroad,” the head of state told the newly appointed diplomats.
The President pointed out a concrete example regarding the situation on the potash market. “I have already spoken about it in public. I would like to make it specific. Today naturally we face certain problems with selling potash fertilizers due to indecent actions by those Russian scoundrels,” noted the head of state. “It is not about the company being our main taxpayer, it is a very large taxpayer but not the main one. The problem is that the company means people, the primary enterprise in the city, the face of our country. We have invested a lot of labor and money in the enterprise in order to revive it after the notorious 1980-1990s, we have built a beautiful city. And there are no miners anywhere else in Belarus except those”.
“From any point of view the enterprise is valuable for our country. We cannot afford losing it and we never will and will never let anyone plunder it. As soon as possible we should get the company back on track, the way it was in the best years,” stated Aleksandr Lukashenko. “In the best years Belarus would earn over $3 billion from selling potash fertilizers. It is understandable that the market is now complicated. It was complicated before the fall because the global economy is in a crisis. Actions taken by Uralkali shareholders have worsened the situation on the global market of potash fertilizers even more”.
“Nevertheless, we are resolute to normalize the situation. Somehow I am confident that the Russians will make the relevant decision and Russia’s leadership will not leave such a powerful Russian company unattended. Sooner or later Russians will come to us in order to restore status quo and what there was in the past. At least we are not against working for large profits. It is quite understandable what should be done to make it happen,” stated the President.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei assured the head of state that business qualities had been the primary criterion to select candidates in order for every one of them to secure max returns for the state. “We have agreed with the head of the [Belarus President] Administration that as early as late November, in December at the latest we will suggest candidates to replace ambassadors next year so that rotation will be completed before the meeting in July,” said the Foreign Minister.
Approving the appointment of heads of municipal administrations, the President advised the new chairmen of district executive committees to work calmly yet persistently encouraging their subordinates to fulfill the tasks their regions face.
Presenting Viktor Rodich as candidate for the office of the Chairman of the Ushachi District Executive Committee, Andrei Kobyakov pointed out the young age (born in 1981) of the future head of the district administration. Yet he said he hopes that Viktor Rodich will prove a competent administrator and mentioned the candidate had the necessary experience.
Aleksandr Lukashenko gave some advice and recalled his own experience when he became the president of the country at a comparatively young age. “I went through that, only in a higher office. And he has little to go to reach my presidential age,” noted the head of state. “Do your work calmly and people will understand fast that the man has not come to only show off”.
“So you come, give a chance to work to those, who may have decided that nobody was going to work with them. It is always necessary to give a man a chance. On the other hand, it is necessary to put consistent efforts into encouraging everyone to reach the goals you set and these goals stem from the tasks the state and the oblast face. Therefore, there is nothing scary about it,” concluded the Belarusian leader.
Sergei Rachkov Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Egypt, Resident Representative of the Republic of Belarus in the League of Arab States;
Vladimir Skvortsov Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Israel;
Marina Dolgopolova Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Latvia;
Anatoly Nichkasov Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Kazakhstan;
Oleg Tabanyukhov Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Turkmenistan;
Nikolai Klakevich Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Uzbekistan;
Alexander Ostrovsky Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Finland;
Vyacheslav Beskosty Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Cote d'Ivoire (concurrent accreditation);
Roman Golovchenko Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Qatar with concurrent accreditation to Kuwait;
Vladimir Lopato-Zagorsky Resident Representative of the Republic of Belarus in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (concurrent accreditation);
Olga Dubanevich Chief Academic Secretary of the Supreme Personnel Review Board.
The President also approved the appointment of:
Valery Matsel as Consul General of the Republic of Belarus in the city of Shanghai (the People’s Republic of China);
Viktor Saverchenko as Consul General of the Republic of Belarus in the city of New York (the United States of America);
Viktor Rodich as Chairman of the Ushachi District Executive Committee;
Oleg Maslak as Chairman of the Dribin District Executive Committee;
Alexander Yatsko as Deputy Culture Minister;
Igor Brylo as Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister;
Artur Karpovich as First Deputy Trade Minister;
Dmitry Chernyakov as Director of Gomel Chemical Plant;
Valery Dunai as Rector of the International Sakharov Environmental University;
Alexander Kovsh as member of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee.
Appointing the ambassadors, Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed their work must produce concrete results that will benefit the country not only in politics but primarily in economy.
The head of state remarked that he is going to meet with diplomatic workers in July 2014. “It will be a no-nonsense talk not only with you, who are appointed virtually one year ahead of the meeting, but those, who will be appointed in October-November,” said the President. “Today the Belarus President Administration has to determine serious criteria to judge the performance of ambassadors. It is necessary to work out these criteria and assess their performance over time. We don’t need many criteria but they should cover the main areas of their work”.
“It is clear that our political influence is not universal. And we don’t insist it has to be universal, we don’t pursue large-scale geopolitical goals. Our policy is absolutely pragmatic,” noted the head of state. "As for, let’s say, the post-Soviet space, our neighbors, then yes, our political influence is great. We should maintain our interaction, influence in diplomacy and politics at this level“.
Aleksandr Lukashenko also mentioned the importance of advancing political cooperation with countries like the People’s Republic of China and Venezuela. “Political matters are important here, too. But trade and economic relations are more important. They are the key things. Matters of trade, economy, investments and the rest are of utmost importance where we can and should play a politically important role,” said the Belarusian leader.
“I am trying to get you to understand that starting tomorrow you should get down to dealing with these matters and problems. I will hold the minister and the prime minister answerable for how the embassies abroad became primarily trade and economic representations, an umbrella for enterprises, ministries, and agencies working to sell our products abroad,” the head of state told the newly appointed diplomats.
The President pointed out a concrete example regarding the situation on the potash market. “I have already spoken about it in public. I would like to make it specific. Today naturally we face certain problems with selling potash fertilizers due to indecent actions by those Russian scoundrels,” noted the head of state. “It is not about the company being our main taxpayer, it is a very large taxpayer but not the main one. The problem is that the company means people, the primary enterprise in the city, the face of our country. We have invested a lot of labor and money in the enterprise in order to revive it after the notorious 1980-1990s, we have built a beautiful city. And there are no miners anywhere else in Belarus except those”.
“From any point of view the enterprise is valuable for our country. We cannot afford losing it and we never will and will never let anyone plunder it. As soon as possible we should get the company back on track, the way it was in the best years,” stated Aleksandr Lukashenko. “In the best years Belarus would earn over $3 billion from selling potash fertilizers. It is understandable that the market is now complicated. It was complicated before the fall because the global economy is in a crisis. Actions taken by Uralkali shareholders have worsened the situation on the global market of potash fertilizers even more”.
“Nevertheless, we are resolute to normalize the situation. Somehow I am confident that the Russians will make the relevant decision and Russia’s leadership will not leave such a powerful Russian company unattended. Sooner or later Russians will come to us in order to restore status quo and what there was in the past. At least we are not against working for large profits. It is quite understandable what should be done to make it happen,” stated the President.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei assured the head of state that business qualities had been the primary criterion to select candidates in order for every one of them to secure max returns for the state. “We have agreed with the head of the [Belarus President] Administration that as early as late November, in December at the latest we will suggest candidates to replace ambassadors next year so that rotation will be completed before the meeting in July,” said the Foreign Minister.
Approving the appointment of heads of municipal administrations, the President advised the new chairmen of district executive committees to work calmly yet persistently encouraging their subordinates to fulfill the tasks their regions face.
Presenting Viktor Rodich as candidate for the office of the Chairman of the Ushachi District Executive Committee, Andrei Kobyakov pointed out the young age (born in 1981) of the future head of the district administration. Yet he said he hopes that Viktor Rodich will prove a competent administrator and mentioned the candidate had the necessary experience.
Aleksandr Lukashenko gave some advice and recalled his own experience when he became the president of the country at a comparatively young age. “I went through that, only in a higher office. And he has little to go to reach my presidential age,” noted the head of state. “Do your work calmly and people will understand fast that the man has not come to only show off”.
“So you come, give a chance to work to those, who may have decided that nobody was going to work with them. It is always necessary to give a man a chance. On the other hand, it is necessary to put consistent efforts into encouraging everyone to reach the goals you set and these goals stem from the tasks the state and the oblast face. Therefore, there is nothing scary about it,” concluded the Belarusian leader.