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Lukashenko approves appointment of directors at three large companies

MINSK, 2 December (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has approved the appointment of directors of three large companies, BelTA has learned.

Valery Kovalev will take the post of Director General of the Beltopgaz fuel and gas-supplying state-owned production association. Until now, he worked at the company as deputy director general.

Marat Maletsky will head Belarusian Oil Company. Previously, he served as advisor to the director for organizational issues at Logistics Energy.

Andrei Demidovets has been appointed Director General of MINSK KRISTALL – MINSK KRISTALL GROUP Holding Management Company. Until now, he worked as Director General of Gomel Distillery Radamir.

Speaking about Beltopgaz, the president said that the current Energy Minister Aleksei Kushnarenko, who was appointed in August 2024, previously served as Beltopgaz Director General. The head of state focused on how energy companies were engaged in the development of their branches in the field of agriculture. In particular, the president mentioned the agricultural enterprise Gazovik-Sipakovo, which he visited during one of his working trips to Mogilev Oblast. “I have visited this enterprise. You are doing great. You have taken a reasonable, smart approach in agriculture there,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “It is true and I do not know how it has been working lately, but I do not think it is working worse - economically and so on.” The responsible officials explained that Gazovik-Sipakovo is among the leaders of the district.

“I have taken a close look at your association, your concern and I can see that you have good specialists there,” the president said. “It is a huge association [which employs more than 23,000 people], and it is doing well. There are no probably bad specialists there.”

When agreeing on the candidacy of the director general of Belarusian Oil Company, the head of state emphasized that this structure employs professionals in their field - about 80 people. According to the president, they are underloaded. “I think they are underloaded in this company. It is a pity. I know that there are very good specialists there,” he said.

“We need to make a decision with regard to the future of the Belarusian Oil Company. It should be utilized 100%,” the head of state set the task. "If not, then these specialists should work in their specialty throughout the country." Addressing Marat Maletsky, Aleksandr Lukashenko instructed: "Together with the government and Dmitry Nikolayevich [Krutoi, the head of the Belarus President Administration] you need to decide whether this company continues or not. If it does, then it needs a certain amount of work. I think you will decide."

As for MINSK KRISTALL – MINSK KRISTALL GROUP Holding Management Company, the president said that the president noted that this and other alcoholic beverages companies are managed by the state. “We have a monopoly on the production and sales of alcoholic beverages. We will stick to this course,” the head of state emphasized. “Although many friendly countries have expressed dissatisfaction  of that.” 

“It is necessary to keep all alcohol under control. Tobacco products, alcohol account for a big part of the budget and this sector closely related to people's health,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “There should be no alcohol of poor quality on the market. I do not remember that state-owned enterprises have ever produced something of poor quality. If we have a compete mess on the market, we will have self-distilled vodka or other alcohol of poor quality produced in garages and sold on the market for cheap.”

Factoring in these considerations, this sector will remain under the control of the state in Belarus. “Therefore, the state control will remain over alcohol and tobacco in the country,” the president said.

Addressing Andrei Demidovets, Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed: “We hope that our leading enterprise will be in good order, and we do not have things we used to have there before.”

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