Lukashenka: “We have no other way if we want to survive”

Belarus should make the most use of the advantage of being between two strong poles, Russia and Europe, Alyaksandr Lukashenka stated yesterday addressing a seminar of heads of organs of government.

“Belarus has advantages, and has always had them in power resources. We are closer to the source of power resources, and they will always be a little cheaper for us than for Europe, for instance,” Lukashenka said.

Underlining “unpampered nature” of the Belarusians, A. Lukashenka told that if salaries would grow twice, Belarus will still have an advantage of a cheaper working power”. “Thanks to God’s help, prices for our traditional outputs have grown,” he noted, saying that Belarus should make the most use of the advantage of being between two strong poles, Russia and Europe”.

To his mind, Belarus should create flexible present-day productions which would produce goods with high added value and modern level of quality, Interfax informs.

“If we want to live and continue to exist, we have no other way except present-day productions which would be able to be competitive at the world market in equal conditions,” A. Lukashenka said.

As said by Lukashenka, creation of small enterprises in small and middle-size urban settlements which could react to changes of the world market environment is an upcoming trend. “We should create extremely modern enterprises, even for 10-15 workers,” A. Lukashenka said. He noted that sooner or later favorable conditions would be cancelled, and they would “plunge into market competition. In order to survive and gain a profit they are to be modern”.

Besides, Lukashenka noted that by creating modern enterprises in small and middle urban settlements one should be geared to the use of local raw materials.

Lukashenka has also noted that it is necessary to “impose harsh accountability for the whole vertical of power, starting with a minister and to a chairman of the regional executive committee or a village Soviet, for what has been done to develop production”.

“We should act speedily…”

Lukashenka has also noted that from time to time the Russian side brings up an issue about excessive allocating investment support and too many allowances to its industry by Belarus.

“Today in cooperation with Russia, they (the Russian side) are attracting attention to the facts of excessive allocating investment support and too many allowances for our enterprises. If we wouldn’t follow WTO standards in the future, we would be said: produce and eat it yourself,” A. Lukashenka said on Tuesday in Minsk at a seminar of heads of organs of government.

The Belarusian leader has explained that the Russian side expresses displeasure with the fact that output of Russian enterprises becomes uncompetitive as compared with the analogous production from Belarus, where enterprises have state support.

“Even if in the near future we won’t become the WTO members, they (Russia) will demand the same policy from us which they carry out in their country,” Lukashenka said.

“That is why we should act speedily,” A. Lukashenka underlined during the discussion of issues connected with lending considerable state aid to enterprises in small and middle urban settlements.

“No revival of small and middle urban settlements will have place of we’ll work in the same way we worked this year. There is certain growth, but it must have been based on curtailment in another sector,” he said.