Meeting with Governor of Russia’s Sverdlovsk Oblast Denis Pasler

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Governor of Russia’s Sverdlovsk Oblast Denis Pasler in Minsk on 18 May.

Welcoming the governor, the head of state noted that he had visited Sverdlovsk Oblast in the past and saw firsthand that it is a very complex region. “I know well from history and from reality that your region is one of the central regions, even a ‘Russia-forming’ one, if I may put it that way,” the Belarusian leader said. According to him, in Soviet times the industrial base of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the products manufactured there were a source of pride. “Everything we could not produce on the periphery, we made and created in your region. The most advanced technologies were there,” Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled.

The Belarusian head of state described cooperation with Sverdlovsk Oblast as successful. In recent years, he noted, trade has reached about $1 billion. However, the President is convinced that the level of development and the capabilities of both Belarus and Sverdlovsk Oblast allow for far more ambitious results. “Understanding the scale and the volumes you can produce, and we can as well, $1 billion is simply a passing figure for us. It is only a matter of time before we can even double our trade,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

He outlined several key promising areas for expanding cooperation. These include, for example, mechanical engineering and agriculture, with the possibility of increasing supplies of machinery, products, and, if necessary, mineral fertilizers. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus has no difficulties selling fertilizers, even though this sector is under sanctions. “We have adapted, and today we have no surplus mineral fertilizers. We are selling on global markets everything we used to supply, and even larger volumes at competitive prices,” he said. Nevertheless, if needed, the country is ready to support the Russian region in this area.

“We often talk about mechanical engineering and agriculture. But we often forget that we once had, and still have, a rather high level of development in machine-tool building,” the President said, pointing to another potential area of cooperation. “You should take this into account. For us, this is very important. I often discuss this issue with the Russian President and your [Russian] ministers. They understand that without machine tools, nothing worthwhile can be created, especially in Belarus and Sverdlovsk Oblast [where manufacturing is developed]. Machine tools are needed there. So we are ready to work in this direction.”

A logical next step in advancing cooperation in these areas, he said, is strengthening industrial cooperation. “This is the foundation and the future development of Belarus-Russia relations. We are ready to expand industrial cooperation,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. According to him, there are good examples of such cooperation already, for instance, between BelAZ and Pnevmostroymashina.

“When Western companies, American and others, left our and the Russian market, new opportunities opened up for us. We are ready to work in this direction as well,” the head of state said. He noted that Belarus has preserved and developed many industries since Soviet times, for example, optics and microelectronics, which are highly relevant for Russia. “We have preserved all of this and, moreover, raised it to the necessary level. We supply a significant amount of such products to the Russian Federation. If you need this, take a close look. We are ready not only to supply but also to establish joint cooperative ties and enterprises both here [in Belarus] and in your region to develop these areas,” Aleksandr Lukashenko assured.

“These so-called sanctions have shown that we must rely on our own capabilities and pursue import substitution, as well as other avenues to develop domestic production,” the President continued. “I am pleased to hear that you are now producing your own aircraft, including civilian ones, not to mention the defense industry, which has seen very serious development.” This, in turn, stimulates similar sectors in Belarus, the head of state noted. The repair facilities that exist in the country are gradually moving toward full-scale production. “We are beginning to manufacture armored vehicles, aircraft, and develop shipbuilding. It is not just repair, but the creation of modern systems and modern machines. This is beneficial for us. At the same time, we are ready to work in Russia in all these areas,” the Belarusian leader said.

Oil refining is also among the areas for expanding cooperation, the President noted. “These days, our opponents are full of rage, and they are throwing oil refineries into a state of disarray. We have two modernized plants - the ambassador [Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov] knows this well, and we offer our shoulder whenever needed. If your region requires help and support in this regard, let the ambassador know and Boris Vyacheslavovich [Gryzlov] will inform us. We will try to assist you just as we are helping all of Russia today,” the Belarusian leader said. 

In turn, the head of the Russian region noted that thanks to joint work and highest-level support from Belarus, relations with Sverdlovsk Oblast are developing well. For example, the two sides have made significant progress in industrial cooperation.