Working trip to Vileika District, Minsk Oblast

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko made a working trip to Vileika District, Minsk Oblast.

Upon arriving in Vileika, the head of state drew attention to agriculture and farming practices in Minsk Oblast. Aleksandr Lukashenko surveyed the condition of the fields from a helicopter and noted that some of them are overgrown with weeds and have effectively been excluded from crop rotation. This is particularly true for the northern districts. “It’s a mess everywhere. You’ve got fields abandoned. It’s appalling,” the President pointed out, highlighting the glaring shortcomings.

In this regard, a specific task was set for the chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee. “This is a firm, non-negotiable demand from me: all fields in Minsk Oblast must be brought back into crop rotation. We need to plow, sow, and harvest on time,” the President instructed. “We need to make a serious effort in the north of Minsk Oblast.”

Another topic that Aleksandr Lukashenko inquired about was the progress of summer field work in Minsk Oblast. Here too, he noted certain shortcomings. “It looks like you haven’t even started the harvest yet. Some fields have already been plowed over, probably for rapeseed and winter barley,” he observed.

Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee Aleksei Kushnarenko noted that the region’s grain harvest currently stands at 1.5 million tonnes. “I know all your achievements. I just want you to understand that I also see the shortcomings. You need to make a serious effort in the north of Minsk Oblast,” the President emphasized. “In the name of the revolution, do whatever it takes, but straighten things up.” 

Aleksandr Lukashenko once again drew attention to the need for strict compliance with discipline, including technological discipline and recalled is recent instruction given at a video conference meeting. This concerns sending undisciplined and negligent agricultural workers to the army. “Bring in whoever you need. Take the two battalion tactical groups that were formed from negligent officials and specialists. There are about 500 of them and I call them two battalion tactical groups. Put them to work here,” he added.

To get a fuller picture, he asked Deputy Chairperson of the Belarusian People’s Congress Aleksandr Kosinets, who serves as the head of state’s authorized representative for Minsk Oblast, about the overall situation in the central region. He was informed that the region is meeting its forecast targets and could become one of the country’s leaders by the end of the year.

The head of state was given a detailed briefing on the wide range of products manufactured by BelOMO Holding Company, which includes ZENIT-BelOMO. The holding’s enterprises produce pneumatic brake drive units, automotive components for mining haul trucks, medical weighing equipment, and other products.

When the discussion turned to the production of automotive components for mining haul trucks, the President addressed Industry Minister Andrei Kuznetsov and set the task of developing the production of hydraulic units for domestic machinery.

“Your task is the following: we must master hydraulics this year and next. So get ready. Just as [Deputy Prime Minister Viktor] Karankevich has the baler and the milking robot, you have hydraulics,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “As long as I have been President, they have only promised to make it, and they never have.”

When it comes to the overall specialization of BelOMO Holding Company, as was reported to the President, the core focus is optics, accounting for 82% of total output. This is followed by automotive components for heavy-duty vehicles, household gas meters, and consumer goods.

BelOMO Holding Company is export-oriented, with 80% of its products supplied abroad. The export structure includes Russia, other CIS countries, and distant foreign markets. Optics, in particular, enjoy consistently high demand.

Across all enterprises within BelOMO Holding Company, a number of investment projects have been implemented over the past five years, including import-substitution initiatives. At Zenit-BelOMO, for example, a project was completed last year to set up production of innovative sighting devices and automotive components for Belarus, as well as for countries in the near and far abroad. In 2026, the company launched a new investment project focused on manufacturing brake system components for heavy-duty trucks, with total funding of Br7.6 million.

During the visit, the President reviewed product samples from the holding company and toured the mechanical production facilities at Zenit-BelOMO.

As a memento of his visit to the enterprise in Vileika, the head of state was presented with a pair of binoculars manufactured to NATO standards. The optical device is waterproof and gas-filled. Instead of regular air, an inert gas is pumped inside, which protects the lenses from fogging from the inside during sudden temperature changes and completely seals the body against water ingress. The binoculars can be used at depths of up to 5 meters.

“Thank you, this is a good gift,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

In addition, the President was presented with a picture made from optical glass by the plant’s craftsmen. It depicts storks and a woman in traditional Belarusian costume.

“This will go in my office. It is the Year of the Woman after all,” the head of state remarked.