Aleksandr Lukashenko meets with Chairman of the State Defense Industries Committee

President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Sergei Gurulev, Chairman of the State Defense Industries Committee, to receive his report.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “We agreed that you will take care of the maximum number of enterprises, which are related to the military industrial complex, for the sake of attaching them to the State Defense Industries Committee. Some enterprises were outside of your scope of attention. You promised to have a look at them for me. What is your opinion regarding it? Are there any more enterprises that should be transferred to the military industrial complex?”

Sergei Gurulev said that there are about 200 enterprises in Belarus that operate as part of the military industrial branch of the economy. The enterprises are not supposed to be directly accountable to a national-level administration body. Instead the body will oversee the enterprises. The State Defense Industries Committee believes that overseeing is required because the products the industry makes are complicated, science-intensive while the Committee is responsible for control over the exports.

Besides, the President was informed about the fulfillment of tasks relating to the development and production of new types of armaments and the work on the communication satellite.

The meeting also touched upon the reduction of personnel numbers and raising the effectiveness of the State Defense Industries Committee administration. According to Sergei Gurulev, interests of the employees will be observed during the rightsizing process.

The head of state was also informed about results of military and technical cooperation with the main partners of Belarus and prospects of cooperation the next year.

Other matters and instructions were also discussed, including those concerning innovation and investment efforts in the military industrial complex.