Economy

"The objective of the development of the national economy is a new, better quality of life for Belarusian people."

"We see that the primitive massive issuance of thoughtless packages of economic sanctions by the collective West against Belarus and Russia is beginning to subside. Everything that could be banned and limited, even to their own detriment, has already been banned and limited by our counterparts. Now it’s time for them to fathom the consequences. Everyone is now talking about the energy and food crises. You don’t have to be a visionary to assume that another crisis – a political one – is not long in coming in some countries. The writing is already on the wall."

"We need to improve, at all costs, the blood circulatory system of our union. I'm talking about finances. It is already clear to everyone that the era of dollar dominance is coming to an end. The future belongs to trade blocs, settlements in which will be made in national currencies."

"For the first time in history, we produced more than a tonne of grain per capita. This is a success, which, I am sure, even the largest states have not achieved. We have made this step, and we cannot stop here."

"The world is one step away from a global food catastrophe. For a variety of reasons. Not only climatic and geographic. There are countries that at one time abandoned their own agricultural production becoming markets for imported products. In the eyes of Western curators, they are more democratic than you and me."

"Let me remind you once again why there is so much pressure on my part. In short: for us to avoid having to take up arms, we must work properly in agriculture and industry. Our fight is not about Ukraine, but about our economy, us."

"Even amid the unprecedented pressure of sanctions Belarus continues its successful development. This is especially true for our traditional industries and agriculture. We have redirected exports, are replacing imports, have increased deliveries to Russia, China and other countries."

"We were predicted to collapse, fall, and so on. Yet, life is full of opportunities: we need someone, someone needs us. And we found partners to successfully cooperate with and develop our economies."

"I strongly believe that we should give preference to Belarus-made bread, meat, milk, vegetables and, of course, fruits growing in our climate as much as possible. In other words, we should set the table for Belarusian food."

"In no case should we leave the European Union. This is our closest neighbor. We need to work with them. Hot-headed politicians are cooling off. Business is business."

"We are facing a very serious situation. So far we have enough food to eat and clothes to wear, we have everything now. But we can lose it all if we lower our guard. Therefore, the economy is the number one issue. With a solid economy, we will work everything out."

"The demand for our products is enormous. This is a time of opportunity. Only those who move fast will come out of the crisis alive. Those who take it slow will be crushed."

"The economy is at the heart of everything. A strong economy requires hard work. We have everything in place to work efficiently, except for discipline and responsibility. Though this pertains to some people, not to all."

"We need to sell Belarusian-made goods. Everyone wants a good salary. A good salary comes when goods sell. We need to retake the domestic market away from foreign brands. There is an expression: “Blessing in disguise”. This will incentivize us to finally focus on promotion of Belarusian-made goods."

"Agriculture has entered a golden age. No one knows how long it will last. I am sure that this year and next year there will be unprecedented opportunities for those who produce agricultural products and foodstuffs."

"Import substitution is a chance to meet challenges. On the one hand, it is a chance. On the other hand, it is hard work."

"Political pressure and trade wars have turned into a hybrid confrontation. Every day we have to fight for sovereignty and security of the country. Simultaneously we have to build up our competences because we can only fully rely on ourselves and on friendly countries such as Russia."

"Even our scientists saw that the so-called market freedom had reduced to an empty sound. There is no market freedom, no market at all. Everyone promotes their interests, protects their interests as much as possible."

"Belarusians need to be more active and think about themselves, earn money for themselves. There are more than enough opportunities, especially nor, when in the period of sanctions when certain western companies are leaving Russia and to a certain extent Belarus. We need to occupy this place."

"The economy is at the heart of everything. A strong economy requires hard work. We have everything in place to work efficiently, except for discipline and responsibility. Though this pertains to some people, not to all."

"They are speaking all the time about quarantine, curfew, etc.... Listen, it’s easy, we can do it within 24 hours. But what will we eat?"

"Economy is the number one issue. The rest, including the exchange rate, inflation and so on, comes second. Of course, all these things are important, including the exchange rate of the national currency, inflation, which is an indicator of rising prices or deflation. Economy, however, is above all. If economy collapses, no one needs the exchange rate, inflation, deflation, etc."

"We need a stronger economy here if we don’t want wars in Belarus."

"Sanctions are the inquisition of our time, a blatant violation of international law."

"There is no need to rush to sanctions. Moreover, they can have the opposite effect."

"Belarus’ top priority is to build a stable and competitive economy, the economy of tomorrow. This is the basis of our sovereignty. There is plenty of work to be done in this field. But we do not have to start from scratch. Over 25 years of independence Belarus has resolved many complex problems. The potential that we have enables Belarus to stay resilient even in the most unfavorable times."

"The objective of the development of the national economy is a new, better quality of life for Belarusian people. This is the ultimate priority of the state policy. The quality of life should be measured not only in rubles, dollars or euros, but also in the general state of a person's comfort at work, in the family, in relations with other people. After all, the happiness of people is defined not only by the size of the gross national product."

"The only thing we should be ‘worried about’ is economic performance. We have no other problems in our society. Everything else is under strict control. The economy is above all!"

"Salary should be earned! Its growth depends entirely on us. If we are able to upgrade enterprises and increase productivity, if it is profitable to sell products, our efforts will be paid well."

"We are often blamed for the slow progress of reforms. To speak frankly, I do not like this term. I prefer to call it transformation or improvement of our economy. I am convinced that human rights, democracy, market economy should not turn into another rigid doctrine that breaks the lives of tens and hundreds of millions of people. We do not need reforms for the sake of reforms."

"We should make our country attractive for wealthy people from across the globe. What are we ready to offer? A stable, comfortable, and predictable environment must become our national brand. Friendliness is a mandatory principle of work for everyone."

"We are talking about the need to make Belarus an IT country. We need to make products here so that Belarus could become one of the world’s IT hubs. We can do it."

"It is the economy of knowledge and professionals sincerely loving their homeland that ensure the competitiveness of the country."

"Well-developed agriculture is a cornerstone of our independence. We ensure food security of our country. We manufacture products that will always be in demand abroad. The demand for cars or TV sets, for instance, can rise or fall. People will always need food to survive. The demand for quality food, clothes and housing, will be always steady."

"Our main strategy is to make our economy anchored in local raw materials as much as possible."

"We are increasingly interested in promoting business activity and increasing the share of private property in the economy. We have never set public property against private property. Whatever form of ownership it is, the main thing is that it should work effectively for the benefit of the society."

"We need the kind of privatization and the kind of investors that will enable an expansion of merchandise markets, good salaries and the creation of new enterprises and technologies. We do not need those that pay miserable salaries for workers while a bunch of shareholders get all the revenues."

"We should view private property as one of the foundations of patriotism of our people. After all, when people have their own business, house, land, it gives them the opportunity to feel like an architect of their own destiny and country."

"Total dependence on foreign markets is a threat to the economy and sovereignty of the country. The development of the domestic market, development of the service economy should become the cornerstone of our new economic policy."

"We should not forget that there is tough competition in foreign markets. There are real trade wars and battles for every commodity with the use of a wide arsenal of means - from customs barriers and price maneuvers to the use of weapons. We also need to be fully prepared to compete. Success is guaranteed only if we offer improved quality of products, lower cost, pre- and post-sale maintenance services that meet the best international standards."