Report of Industry Minister Piotr Parkhomchik, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Nazarov

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko heard out a report by Industry Minister Piotr Parkhomchik and Vice Premier Yuri Nazarov who is supervising the sector on 23 September.

“First of all, I would like you to give an objective assessment of the Industry Ministry’s current performance and projections for the end of the year taking into account cut-throat actions against Belarus on the part of some of our western partners. I want to learn not only about manufacturing (export brings currency) and warehouse stocks, but above all about the financial standing. What is going on at the industrial enterprises subordinate to your ministry?” the Belarusian leader asked.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the industry minister had visited several countries, various exhibitions, and held a number of negotiations. “What is the situation here, especially in the African market that we began to penetrate a long time ago?” he asked.

The President also recalled that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and he had previously negotiated joint efforts to promote the microelectronics industry. Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that this is of paramount importance. “What is the state of things here? Thank God, we have retained these enterprises. But, of course, we should work harder in order to be able to compete with those who call the shots in the world today,” the head of state noted.

Aleksandr Lukashenko asked whether Belarusian companies encounter any problems on the Russian market. “What problems do we face regarding the public procurement bidding process in Russia? Do we still have problems that need to be addressed in the manufacturing industry, and how do our Russian colleagues act after certain agreements were reached at the level of the President and the government?” the Belarusian leader asked.

At the meeting the President stressed that we need to do our best to keep the country's industry going: “We just do not have the right to decline. We have to keep this level whatever it takes. I know that you have taken a number of decisions in the government to minimize the impact of sanctions on our economy. But take a look at employees at your companies. I have information that there are still a few scoundrels there, and they aim to inform the collective West about how Parkhomchik and Nazarov are trying to bypass sanctions. They, in fact, spy and pass the information there.”

“We have identified a few of them. They will go to jail, and for a long time. That is for sure. But, nevertheless, there are still others. These are not just people who express their civic position. These are people who are consciously harming our economy and our state for the money of the Western secret services. You should draw special attention of the heads of the companies to these facts and monitor these matters yourselves,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.