We need to tap into new markets and preserve the traditional ones, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with the newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Parkhomchik, BelTA has learned.
The head of state stressed that import substitution remains the number one issue for the Belarusian government: "We have talked a lot about this. We have begun to do something on this front. The sanctions have made us to engage in import substitution."
"I have already said that there is no need to discard any markets," the Belarusian leader continued. “If we are able to work in the west, we will work in the west, in the south, north, east... wherever our products are needed. Do we have a gigantic economy, like Russia? No, we don't. Our economy is compact. What we produce is needed everywhere: both food products and mineral fertilizers, especially today. We need to do this to prevent famine. The West will buy these fertilizers. It is close geographically. There is no need to give up on any markets,” the president said.
Distant countries such as, for example, Zimbabwe, are promising markets too, the Belarusian leader believes. "This is a unique country," he said. “You will be able to work in such countries. They also have enough problems. Zimbabwe, for example, has been dealing with sanctions for a long time. Probably, its gold, diamonds have been of interest to some Western leaders."
Written by: belta.by