Lukashenka Is Nervous

He is afraid of a possible blocking of transit through Belarus.

The situation with cargo transit and budget replenishment and the fight against smuggling were discussed on September 16 during a meeting between Lukashenka and the Chairman of the State Customs Committee Uladzimir Arlouski.

“I am interested in the situation at the border from the point of view of our customs authorities. I remember my service at the border in Soviet times. And so I thought before our meeting that customs authorities, and border guards, today serve in completely different conditions. Especially customs officers,” said Aliaksandr Lukashenka. “Now there is a lot more work, especially after we started having problems with the West. After all, we have reoriented our economy to the east. What is the current situation in connection with this reorientation of commodity flows to the east and how does customs work?”

The ruler noted that the State Customs Committee is doing a lot to help Belarusian enterprises, residents in organizing trade.

“What is the situation with the transit of our goods and how are customs involved in this assistance for our enterprises?” he asked.

Lukashenka called the second issue — customs payments and replenishment of the country's budget — one of the most important. He asked what the dynamics are in this regard in comparison with previous periods and last year.

“The third is the issue of security. Customs plays a vital role in ensuring security — both of the state and our citizens. What is going on with smugglers?” Lukashenka's press service quotes him as saying.

The dictator spoke with fear about threats to block transit through Belarus and declared the “fury” of Belarusian neighbors in the west, who have made a number of decisions to close checkpoints. Thus, only five road checkpoints out of 26 are currently functioning on the Belarusian border — two each in the Polish and Lithuanian directions and one in the Latvian direction.

“Of course, we could brush this aside and say that sanctions were imposed and we don't trade with the West as much as before. But (Belarus — edit.) is a transit country. That's why this assessment is important for us. How do the southern and western borders compare? Your point of view, your view, especially in the future,” Lukashenka said.

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