Meeting to discuss draft legal acts on development of Belarus’ Hi-Tech Park

It is necessary to give a new impetus to the development of the IT-industry, and this does not concern only residents of Belarus’ Hi-Tech Park (HTP), Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting to discuss draft legal acts on the development of the HTP on 11 April.

“Last November we already discussed the work of our Hi-Tech Park, taking into account the current situation in Belarus. It is necessary to give a new impetus to the development of the industry, to provide the most favorable working conditions (we agreed on it) in the area. This should be done not only for HTP residents, but also for all domestic IT companies, in general, for all IT specialists,” the head of state stressed.

The President also set a goal to develop a product for the needs of the national economy and export. “The task is a difficult one. We, however, have not had easy tasks in the recent years,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

“Today, our HTP, which has long been called ‘a paradise for programmers’ and ‘the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe’, is being strangled economically. Such attempts are being made,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

In this regard, the President said that the country was ready to respond to the situation, draw conclusions and generate appropriate solutions: “We are used to such challenges and respond to them with dignity. If they do not want to see us in one part of the world, we, naturally, go to the other.”

"I have received the draft legal acts on the development of the HTP. The approaches they suggest are unconventional. But this sector almost always requires creative solutions," the Belarusian leader said.

The President stressed that this is about the new lease on life and the new horizons that were previously inaccessible for the park and the entire Belarusian IT industry. "We need to tap into new markets, replace Western investments with Asian ones," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

"In general, a good product will always be in demand. It will be bought no matter what obstacles, fences and obstacles there may be," the head of state added.

He suggested discussing the proposals and bringing the regulatory framework in line with the decisions taken. "I would like to hear the suggestions how we can speed up the work as much as possible and when we will get concrete results," he said.

"No one will be able to sit it out today. We need results. If there are no results, no explanations or conversations will be accepted as an excuse," Aleksandr Lukashenko said addressing the government and the HTP, and also other responsible persons.