Czech to build a pig farm in Belarus despite sanctions

A delegation of officials and businessmen from the Czech Republic till arrive to Minsk to lay the first stone of the Czech-Belarusian pig farm.

The fourth session of the Belarusian-Czech joint commission on economic, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation will be held on 3-4 May in Minsk, the press-service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry reports. Today more than 40 Czech-Belarusian investment projects are being developed and realized, and the sheer volume of Czech investments in 2011 equaled $16 mln, the Ministry points out.

The Czech delegation includes Deputy Minister for Agriculture Martin Hlaváček, Deputy Minister of Transport Ivo Vikidal, heads of different organisations and banks that take an active part in the financing in Belarusian projects, as well as representatives of Škoda Transportation, AZD Praha, Bel-Czech Trade, Sigma group, Bauer Technics and others.

According to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, the commission is chaired by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Milan Hovorka.

Radio Svaboda called the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade to discover that nobody there had heard of the Deputy Minister’s coming visit to Minsk.

First AZD Praha hung up and then stopped picking up at all.

Head of the communication department of Škoda Transportation Lubomíra Černá was very surprised to hear about the company’s participation in the commission: “What commission? In Minsk? You are calling to Škoda Transportation, right? I’ve never heard about this conference before. I have no clue what topic it is.”

Head of Bauer Technics Karel Líkař confirmed that the company takes part in the commission session:

“Yes, we do take part. I have received an invitation from the Agriculture Minister. I’m going there.”

Karel Líkař will participate in the solemn procedure of laying the first stone in the construction of the pig farm for Barysauski Pig Farm. He was asked by a Radio Svaboda correspondent whether he is determined to cooperate with a country with political prisoners and human rights violations:

“I know nothing about that. We go there with a lot of politicians from the European Union. I have been there with other politicians, and we have never had any problems. This is the first time I hear about these problems.”

We remind that on 16 February in Prague by the headquarters of Škoda a rally was held with the slogan “No to the Hockey World Championship in Belarus”. Former presidential candidate Ales Mikhalevich took part in the action.