BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

15/11/2007

Belarussian President said he was not going to change the policy pursued by the country

MINSK, November 15 (Itar-Tass) - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday he was not going to change the policy pursued by the country.

"I want to state that we are not going to change the course we have chosen. There is absolutely no critical situation in the country," President Lukashenko said. "Although there was an objective reason for having such a situation," he admitted.

He explained that the country "had to fork out as much as 2.5 billion dollars for oil and gas". "It is difficult to imagine what economy can sustain such a blow. All the more a growing economy, which is still not strong enough," he said.

"That was an unfriendly move on the part of our Russian brothers. But we have lived through the year and have not collapsed," he stated.

"Where is the mistake?" he asked. "We are allegedly developing a wrong economy. One says we should have privatised, sold or given away - that would have been correct. For certain Russians it is very important to see us going that way, as they are 'rolling in money' and they would like to buy out that plot of land together with enterprises on it," he continued.

According to him, the task set to the economy at the start of the year, has been implemented but partially, which has resulted in a negative balance of foreign trade.

Focusing on growing prices, Lukashenko said he believed the Belarussian people were well aware that prices for milk, bread and other products were growing not because there were not enough products on the domestic market, but because prices had grown in countries around Belarus.

"If we don't raise prices, while goods in Russia cost 2.5 times as much, we shall see the situation we had 7-8 years ago, when everything was taken out of Belarus," he explained.

He noted, however, that higher pensions and salaries must compensate growing prices in Belarus. "Today we can calmly level out the situation," the Belarussian leader is confident.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12075030&PageNum=0

Google