Meeting to discuss operation of Belarusian pavilion at VDNH expo in Moscow

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko hosted a government conference to discuss the operation of the Belarusian pavilion at the VDNH expo in Moscow on 13 June.

At the meeting the head of state has updated the tasks concerning work on the Russian market. Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “The current situation around Belarus, particularly in economy, determines special topicality and certain unconventional actions are required because of it. It is clear that in the current situation the Russian Federation has become our main partner as it was before and even more so [now]. We attach value to the work on the Russian market. It is no secret for anyone. This is why the government is mobilizing all the resources in order to effectively work in the eastern direction. If they are not, they should. It doesn’t mean we should forget about other markets – developing countries and our traditional markets, markets of the European Union and the USA. But for now we will be unable to work as effectively over there as we did before these packages of sanctions were introduced. It is understandable now that they will chock Russia to the bitter end and us at the same time. So that Russia would not circumvent sanctions via Belarus. This is the situation.”

The head of state remarked that this is why close attention is paid to the Russian direction. And advertising and exhibition activities are significant. “Goods need to be advertised and demonstrated. And in order to advertise them, we have to showcase them,” he stressed.

This is why ways to improve the operation of the Belarusian pavilion at the VDNH expo were put up for discussion during the conference.

“For me, for my work it is significant because back in the days of [Russia President] Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin [Kazakhstan President Nursultan] Nazarbayev and I raised the matter before Russia in no-nonsense terms. We wanted the VDNH expo to be the way it was in the Soviet Union, with all the republics represented there. When Nazarbayev and I raised the matter so that every post-Soviet republic could… The Baltic states rejected the idea, well, god be with them… So that this VDNH would be spruced up and everyone would get a pavilion. This is how Belarus got its own pavilion,” he said. “Due to current topicality I’ve directed my attention to the work of this pavilion.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that he gets information about the work of the Belarusian pavilion through various channels and as the corresponding officials report, all is well, the facility operates at a profit. “Listen, it is important to me that the pavilion should be profitable. But it is even more important to showcase all the accomplishments of the country over there. The highest accomplishments such as food, apparel, machines, equipment, vehicles, and what not should be sold via the VDNH expo, via our pavilion. I am told the place is not really fit for that. Listen, I don’t care what it is fit for. But it is in the heart of huge Russia. A shop one can say. You are trading over there now, self-employed businessmen and the rest. And trading at a profit. Why don’t you want [the Belarusian state light industry concern] Bellegprom and state-run companies to go there, showcase something, and sell? How so?” the head of state wondered.

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that the relevant products should be put on display in the pavilion for the sake of advertising: “There should be our products we make starting with foodstuffs and ending with machines, equipment, and vehicles. And they should be sold as far as it is possible. And contracts should be signed. This Belarusian facility, which I stress I’d fought for, has to be effective.”