Business news

5 Sep 2022

Belarus’ ambassador to Brazil: Sanctions are a venom, but Belarus is immune to it

Photo courtesy of the Belarusian diplomatic mission in Brazil

MINSK, 5 September (BelTA) – Belarus’ embassy in Brazil has held a showcase event for the country’s exports. The event was designed to explore new forms of cooperation in the face of sanctions, BelTA learned from the Belarusian diplomatic mission.

Speaking at the presentation were Director General of the Agency for Foreign Economic Affairs Andrei Mitskevich, Director of the Office of Belarusian Potash Company in Brazil Andrei Chushev and Ambassador of Belarus to Brazil Sergei Lukashevich. The presentation focused on new instruments for banking operations and existing competencies in exploring alternative logistics routes.

“We should build a cooperation in a smart and mutually beneficial way. Despite the large distance between Belarus and Brazil, we have established close contacts, for example, in the field of agriculture. Our potash fertilizers are crucial for Brazilian agriculture, the supply of these fertilizers has an impact on global food prices. The importance of Belarusian potash fertilizers for Brazil is best illustrated by the following statistics: potash prices in the Brazilian market have risen 3-4 times since the end of 2021,” the Belarusian diplomat noted.

According to Sergei Lukashevich, the venom of sanctions has poisoned many countries of the world, including those that were not their direct targets. “However, we all remember the story from Ancient Rome: taking small doses of poison makes a person invulnerable. I believe that the same applies to the economies of countries that have so unfairly been affected by sanctions directly and indirectly,” the ambassador said figuratively.

Attending the event were Brazilian business people and lawyers, representatives of the banking sector and the potash industry. The Embassy of Belarus welcomed senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply and the FAO office in Brazil, representatives of the Special Secretariat for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency of Brazil, the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Parliament of Brazil, journalists.