Sidorski accuses Russia of blocking exports
Belarusian export-bound products are encountering
“numerous barriers” in foreign markets, Prime Minister Syarhey Sidorski said at
a meeting that the Council of Ministers held on Tuesday to discuss the
country’s economic performance in the first four months of 2009.. “Markets for sales of products
are closed in fact,” Mr. Sidorski said.
The premier directed that government officials should travel to provinces to discuss with managers of local companies the situation regarding exports.
He said that he would “invite” ministers to attend a meeting of the Union State’s Council of Ministers scheduled to be held in Minsk on May 28. “I will listen to what you will say,” he said.
Mr. Sidorski commented separately on deliveries of agricultural machines to Russia. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on May 25 that he considered it inexpedient to use Russian loans for purchases of Belarusian-made farm equipment, as proposed by the Belarusian government.
“The agriculture minister [of Russia] said yesterday that they were to assemble 11,000 Belarusian tractors and they did not need more,” Mr. Sidorski said. “But they forget that we have the Russian government’s annual program envisaging 48,000 tractors. They should be reminded of it.”
At the same time, the Belarusian premier expressed hope that “the barriers” would be soon lifted, noting that “decisions were taken by feel at the end of last year, when everything was collapsing.” “Decisions taken spontaneously should be canceled,” he said. “We discussed the matter with premiers in Kazakhstan [at the May 22 meeting of the CIS Council of the Heads of Government] for three hours and reached an agreement that we will take measures to remove artificially imposed barriers,” BelaPAN reported.
The premier directed that government officials should travel to provinces to discuss with managers of local companies the situation regarding exports.
He said that he would “invite” ministers to attend a meeting of the Union State’s Council of Ministers scheduled to be held in Minsk on May 28. “I will listen to what you will say,” he said.
Mr. Sidorski commented separately on deliveries of agricultural machines to Russia. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on May 25 that he considered it inexpedient to use Russian loans for purchases of Belarusian-made farm equipment, as proposed by the Belarusian government.
“The agriculture minister [of Russia] said yesterday that they were to assemble 11,000 Belarusian tractors and they did not need more,” Mr. Sidorski said. “But they forget that we have the Russian government’s annual program envisaging 48,000 tractors. They should be reminded of it.”
At the same time, the Belarusian premier expressed hope that “the barriers” would be soon lifted, noting that “decisions were taken by feel at the end of last year, when everything was collapsing.” “Decisions taken spontaneously should be canceled,” he said. “We discussed the matter with premiers in Kazakhstan [at the May 22 meeting of the CIS Council of the Heads of Government] for three hours and reached an agreement that we will take measures to remove artificially imposed barriers,” BelaPAN reported.
