News & Events in Belarus

Air raid alert, new agriculture steps, police council, decisions on tobacco in President’s Week

The work schedule of the Belarus president is always full of events. Aleksandr Lukashenko holds conferences and working meetings on the most topical matters concerning the country’s development, regularly visits the regions, goes on foreign trips and welcomes foreign guests, talks to reporters, signs decrees and laws. And even if there are no public events, it does not mean that the head of state does not work. It must be said that even when he relaxes, for instance, by playing ice hockey or chopping firewood, Aleksandr Lukashenko happens to find the time to give yet another instruction. All the decisions must be prompted by life, he likes to say.

The President’s Week project is intended for those, who want to keep up with the head of state, be up-to-date on the latest statements and decisions of the Belarusian leader.

The head of state started the past work week with a conference on the tobacco industry. Conceptual decisions on the industry’s development as from 2025 were made.

The next day Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the memorial complex Mound of Glory in Smolevichi District where reconstruction is now in progress. But not only changes of this important object of the country’s historical memory were discussed. The president seized the occasion to also discuss the harvesting campaign in Minsk Oblast.

The president’s conversation with participants of a jubilee session of the Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs of the CIS states on 8 August was substantial and sincere in many aspects. Aleksandr Lukashenko advised the CIS states to stay united and not to seek momentary gains. He also warned about consequences of Russia’s downfall. The tasks law enforcement agencies face were also talked about. Those include efforts to enforce law, peace, order, and stability in the countries, efforts to counter terrorism and cybercrimes.

Aleksandr Lukashenko worked in Shklov District on Friday and Saturday. The development of effective agricultural production in the region was discussed as well as mergers of agricultural enterprises and the creation of a new large integration structure involving the holding company Kupalovskoye. It is necessary to show an example in order to make the country’s agriculture as a whole to take new steps forward. But other important topics were also covered: the status of heads of district administrations, finance, personnel management, discipline, housing, and wages.

One of the hottest topics of the week is the violation of Belarus’ airspace by Ukrainian strike drones. Aleksandr Lukashenko explained how Belarusian and Russian army units had destroyed the “unwanted guests” and how Belarus was going to respond to this provocation.

On Sunday Aleksandr Lukashenko continued working in the country’s east. He came to Agrokombinat Yubileiny in Orsha District. The president had visited the place before and this time he came to see what previous instructions had been fulfilled. The creation of a modern engine yard, agriculture performance, mentorship practices, and corporate assistance were discussed.

This week the president also brought into the parliament a bill on amending the codes on criminal responsibility. The document had been developed by a taskforce set up by the Belarus President Administration. Penalties for 97 categories of offenses were revised. Of these, 65 categories of offenses were supplemented with alternative, more lenient punishment types. Humanism of the criminal law was improved.

The president signed two more important decrees past week. They deal with an army draft in September-November 2024 and support for consumer cooperative organizations.

A lot of significant reasons for celebration were available. The head of state sent congratulations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Belarusian automaker MAZ, the 30th anniversary of the Belarusian state television and radio company Belteleradio and the 30th anniversary of the State Secretariat of the Security Council of Belarus, Railway Troops Day, and Construction Workers Day.

Another victory for Belarusian athletes at the Paris Olympics: Aleksandr Lukashenko congratulated the Belarusian weightlifter Yauheni Tsikhantsou on winning a bronze medal.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also congratulated the USSR People’s Artist Oleg Strizhenov on the 95th birthday.

TOBACCO CASE. What conceptual decisions were made at the conference hosted by the president?

On 5 August the president convened a conference to discuss ways to improve the production and sale of tobacco products in the country. The head of state recalled how acute the problem of production and sale of such products was in the early 2000s. Back then a number of decisions were taken to support the tobacco industry. They made it possible to increase the workload of the manufacturing facilities and get the corresponding revenues for the state budget.

In furtherance of those instructions an investment project was implemented six years ago to launch a specialized non-government retail chain to sell tobacco products and boost export. “Moreover, we have found ways to offset consequences of sanctions and provide ourselves with raw materials and supplies,” the president stressed.

As a result, the tobacco industry still remains a major source of budget revenues, making up Br2.5 billion in late 2023.

“That was yesterday, however. Today’s trends are alarming,” the head of state said. Aleksandr Lukashenko asked participants of the meeting whether there were some serious problems or it was just someone fueling the tensions.

He stressed that regardless of the reasons it is necessary to bear in mind interests of the state and worker collectives and endeavor to preserve the volumes of production and export as much as possible. Wailing about the decreased market capacity or the lack of something is unacceptable, Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The head of state wondered about the operation of Grodno Tobacco Factory and other tobacco production facilities, about opportunities to secure effective operation and development. He also asked whether all the reserves had been utilized to ensure efficient work of the tobacco industry in general. The president also showed interest in the current situation with export shipments and the situation on the domestic market.

As a result of the government conference hosted by the head of state conceptual decisions were made on how the tobacco industry will develop as from 2025, Chairman of the Belarusian state food industry concern Belgospishcheprom Oleg Zhidkov told reporters.

Tobacco products are made by three manufacturers in Belarus, including one state-run enterprise. The factories encountered strong sanctions-fueled pressure. This is why timely decisions had to be made on a number of things. They had to redesign their business operations.

The conference hosted by the president identified the priorities that allow planning the manufacturing work and the organization, fulfillment of orders by Belarusian enterprises. Only organizational matters were taken care of. No additional financial commitments on the part of the state for the sake of bailing out the tobacco industry are needed, Oleg Zhidkov pointed out. “We didn’t ask for help per se. On the contrary, we presented new approaches to organizing the work that requires approval by the head of state,” he explained.

DO NO HARM. What was Aleksandr Lukashenko informed about at the Mound of Glory?

On 6 August during a working trip to Smolevichi District, Minsk Oblast Aleksandr Lukashenko was made familiar with the reconstruction of the memorial complex Mound of Glory. He laid flowers at the bottom of the mound and then was made familiar with the reconstruction of the upper platform and the bottom platform of the memorial complex.

Minsk Oblast Governor Aleksandr Turchin informed the president about stages of financing of the construction and installation works and plans for their completion. One of the discussed solutions was to install handrails along the stairs that lead to the top of the mound. On the one hand, their presence would make it safer to climb to the top. On the other hand, this may alter the original look of the piece of architecture. The matter has yet to be thoroughly evaluated. “It is not even about money. We must not spoil the original look,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “There is absolutely no need for frills here.”

In addition to beautification work the expansion of the exposition of military hardware dating back to the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 was suggested. A proposal to build a museum of history of Belarus’ Armed Forces at premises of the memorial complex was also put forward.

Aleksandr Turchin remarked that the Mound of Glory attracts visitors mainly in the warm period of the year. In his opinion, the new museum can become a new point of attraction and tourists will flock to the memorial complex throughout the year. Moreover, the current museum exposition dedicated to the history of the Armed Forces does not have enough space in the House of Officers in Belarus.

“We should think about it. We have plenty of museums. I hope to god people will come. Let’s think about it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko was in no rush to authorize it.

About 105,000 people visited the memorial complex in 2023. “We intend to at least double the number of visitors of the Mound of Glory,” the Minsk Oblast governor said.

Since 2023 the memorial complex has been undergoing another reconstruction. Construction and installation works have been carried out on the central staircase and the place for laying flowers. A fountain has been reconstructed as well as tanks for water storage, automatic irrigation, engineering networks, parking lots, the administration building, and outdoor lighting networks. Multimedia screens have been installed in the park and the exposition of military hardware has been expanded.

The reconstruction of the staircase to the Mound of Glory and its restoration are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2024.

The harvesting campaign was another topic covered by the president’s working trip. The grain harvest, including rapeseed, is expected to make up 2.1 million tonnes. The region also expects to get about 600,000 tonnes of maize. The region is even ready to help out other areas with meeting government buying targets for cereals provided they pay for it.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also wondered about the construction and reconstruction of animal husbandry complexes. Minsk Oblast intends to finish this work within three years. “I hope to god it will be done within three years,” the head of state responded.

The head of state emphasized that discipline is a must in everything, and there are still agricultural enterprises in Minsk Oblast that need to improve standards. “There are good and bad agricultural enterprises in Minsk Oblast for now. There are very good agricultural enterprises that deserve all the praise,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko and Aleksandr Turchin also briefly discussed efforts to recover from recent storms in Minsk Oblast. Minsk Oblast suffered less than the southern regions. The general order has already been restored over there. Everything is being done in a timely manner. Help was promptly provided to people whose houses had damaged roofs.

MAN-TO-MAN TALK. What tasks are the key ones for the ministries of internal affairs of the CIS states?

On 8 August Aleksandr Lukashenko met with participants of a session of the CIS Internal Affairs Ministers Council. The first meeting in the format of the CIS Internal Affairs Ministers Council took place in Minsk in February 1992. This time Belarus hosted the 50th session of the council. “Such a long history of the representative forum of the heads of the ministries of internal affairs demonstrates the exceptional importance of consolidating efforts of law enforcement officers for the sake of ensuring security, protecting constitutional rights and interests of citizens of all the CIS states,” the president said.

Unacceptability of seeking immediate gains

At the very beginning of the meeting Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that he always maintains an honest, sincere, and principled conversation while talking to heads of defense, security, and law enforcement agencies of the CIS or CSTO states. The president did the same this time as well. He got straight to the point right away: “As I was preparing for our meeting, I thought about the key thing. And I want to talk about it now. Men, we can speak sincerely about it. Due to recent developments, including the special military operation in Ukraine, many people have started looking for some benefit for themselves. Both leaders and defense, security, and law enforcement officers. It must not happen.”

“You know, men, based on my experience, I will say that life is so turbulent now and very changeable. Many are looking for benefits, including by moving away from our general development trend created in Soviet times. Some think: ‘We will stay away from Russia, it is under sanctions. We are afraid of getting sanctions and so on... We are looking for our own benefits.’ Don't do that,” the head of state urged.

Aleksandr Lukashenko once again stressed that life is very changeable and no one knows how the situation will develop. “Who knows what will happen to us, to our states tomorrow and whether we will have to turn to Russia for help. And recent events show that we are not welcome anywhere. Neither Russia nor you and me and so on. We need to stick together,” the president said.

“A situation may arise when any of our states cannot do without this unity. And if we fail to understand it today, we will be dealt with separately. But if Russia collapses, we will all be sucked into the vortex,” the Belarusian leader stressed.

The unreliability of the “world hegemon”

Aleksandr Lukashenko talked about the importance of preserving and developing the attained level of interaction between law enforcement agencies by citing concrete processes in world geopolitics as examples.

“It would seem that the USA’s foreign policy has been well-established under the current president [Joe Biden] over the last four years. They have clearly identified countries as friends, enemies, their sons of bitches and simply sons of bitches. Once a new administration comes in, the situation will be like that in Afghanistan. It will definitely happen. It will not be the first time. In order to change the government, they have to start a little war without fail. God forbid if they use the Middle East conflict situation to start a new world war. But they are ready to do it as well,” the president said.

“I am in no way turning you against the United States or any of your traditional allies. You should be friendly and cooperate with all, who wants it. But do not waste what we have created in recent years [trustful cooperation]. It largely depends on us, law enforcers. To a large degree. I thought about it on the way to the meeting,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

Further integration of law enforcement agencies

“Our equal partnership that we have created is backed by a solid legal framework and has been tested by time. It was formed on the principles of openness, trust and mutual assistance. None of you may rise and say that, for instance, the minister of internal affairs of Russia, which is a huge country, a world power, has put pressure on someone. Totally not. Instead we get support in all areas starting with information sharing and ending with the force component. Full support as much as it is possible. Once again it speaks in favor of our cooperation with you,” the head of state said during the meeting.

He stressed that over the years of working together the parties had more than one chance to make sure that only together they can counter global, transboundary, and domestic threats as efficiently as possible.

“Because friends and comrades-in-arms are nearby, who are always ready to give you a helping hand. Rest assured that you will always get it from Belarus. We will always, as far as possible and impossible, support and cooperate with all of you. If there is a desire, we can help each other in very complicated situations,” Aleksandr Lukashenko assured. “The internal affairs ministries of the CIS states are essentially a shield for good citizens and a sword for the criminal world. But only if we stand together. With that in mind Belarus has always been and continues to be a consistent supporter of integration within the Commonwealth of Independent States. In this case of further integration of law enforcement agencies.”

The key thing for law enforcement agencies of the CIS states

The head of state noted that law enforcement agencies have to accomplish serious tasks. Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned some of them in his introductory speech.

The first task is to ensure the reign of law, peace, order and stability in the states.

“We see perfectly well today’s attempts to set our countries at odds with each other and split from within. We are under the pressure of absolutely illegal unilateral economic sanctions. A permanent hybrid war is being waged against our peoples. Each CIS country has already experienced at least one color revolution, which in fact meant an attempt at coup d’etat,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

He is convinced that opponents do not leave the sore spots of the CIS states alone and will constantly try to exploit them. “You will see. I have already warned earlier,” the head of state cautioned.

The president stated that Belarus is no exception as it witnessed unrest in 2020 and an attempt “to destroy the country by storm”. “They counted on a blitzkrieg like the Nazis. They used well-known playbooks. We did not allow the country’s collapse and the beginning of a civil war back then. And we took a number of most radical steps to change the situation in Belarus,” the Belarusian leader remarked.

The second most important task is to counter terrorism. Domestic terrorism and international terrorism are running rampart. Particularly in the wake of the West’s activities (primarily the USA’s) in Ukraine.

“The fight against terrorism is the most important task for us. I always tell my minister: we will not accomplish anything without police,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. The president noted that all the officers of the Internal Affairs Ministry starting with beat cops and ending with the internal affairs minister have complete information about the operational situation in the country. This is why a lot depends on their work and thoughtful actions in any country.

“The main thing is to get information in advance. When we receive it from you, we can start acting,” the president explained.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that international terrorism uses the latest technologies and media resources to promote its activity. “An effective fight against it requires a comprehensive approach. It includes political, social, economic measures, development of international cooperation, information exchange. Only together we will be able to counter it," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The third task is the fight against cybercrimes. The fight against cybercrimes is also a key and very complicated task for law enforcement agencies of the CIS countries. It is relevant for all countries. After all, after the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, scam call centers have become more active, including those operating from Ukraine, the president stated. “From there they attack us and you,” he said.

The number of attempts to destabilize the work of government agencies through knowingly false reports about bombs planted at the most important government installations has also increased. More scams against ordinary citizens get registered.

“Especially this year we are trying to reverse the cybercrime situation somehow and, according to the facts, I see that we are succeeding,” the president said. “Belarus is not a liberal but disciplined country where people heed our advice to be vigilant. Especially the elderly. We ask them to be mindful of all kinds of scams via phones, iPhones, and so on.”

There are also similar problems in the CIS countries. Therefore, the president believes, the experience of combating such evil will be of interest to everyone.

The celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory and the common history

The celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 is one of the important items on agenda of the session of the CIS Internal Affairs Ministers Council. “Victory Day is the most memorable and solemn date in our common history,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “It symbolizes the unity and courage of the Soviet peoples in the face of fascism - the most terrible threat to all mankind.”

There is no disagreement about this statement in the CIS countries, the president remarked. “All peoples of the Soviet Union fought and died by the thousands on the fronts. Moreover, peoples of Central Asia sheltered millions of citizens from the territories that were occupied by fascists in the early years of the war,” the Belarusian leader said.

The CIS Internal Affairs Ministers Council is expected to pass a statement in anticipation of the jubilee date at the Minsk session. The president stressed that it will not only be a tribute to the memory of tens of millions of military personnel and civilians of the Soviet Union, who died so that the present generations could live. “It will be an address to the consequent generations with an appeal to preserve the historical memory and, most importantly, the truth about the most terrible war. We must never forget that we are descendants of the victors, and this is our great asset,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.

The importance of unity

The president pointed out that while the CIS states are united on such an important matter as the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory, disagreements on other matters happen. This is why Aleksandr Lukashenko urged all the parties, including law enforcers, to maintain unity for the sake of ensuring security and stability in the region.

“Let us act seriously in the main areas of work of the internal affairs ministries. They are clearly defined by life and we need to make decisions on any issues related to them. If we make a decision, then let us act together to that effect,” he said.

“God forbid something serious happens in our countries, in your independent states, when it would be necessary to resort to full-scale action of defense, security, and law enforcement agencies. We are not insured against that. If we stand together, then we will fear neither color revolutions nor other riots,” the president stated.

The head of state thanked participants of the meeting for their readiness to cooperate, for the desire to further intensify joint efforts to ensure security and protect law and order. “You should know: we are always ready to come to your aid, to act adequately. Let us not quarrel over trifles. It always puts an abnormal imprint on our work,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

“We are only in favor of unity. We want to stand together with you. Otherwise, we will be torn apart one by one, divided, and the powers that be (you know who it is) will easily get us without any effort. This is why let us stand together,” the head of state concluded.

NEW STEPS FORWARD. Why will the country be no more without the development of agriculture?

On 9-10 August Aleksandr Lukashenko worked in Shklov District, Mogilev Oblast. The two days contained two major conferences with the total length of about six hours. The president also traditionally spent some time talking to the locals.

Nevertheless, the composition of participants of the conferences and their scope went far beyond the limits of Shklov District. The first government conference focused on efficient development of agricultural production in two neighboring districts: Shklov District and Orsha District, which are major GDP generating areas for Mogilev Oblast and Vitebsk Oblast. Aleksandr Lukashenko knows both well since it is the area he grew up in.

Shklov District and Orsha District have good foundation. The local soils are some of the country’s best and should produce the relevant result, the president noted. The two districts can be used as an example to determine the next steps on modernization and on developing the agricultural production and the countryside as a whole.

“One can say it was a historic meeting. Because we started reforming the agriculture from here, from Shklov District. And not because it is my birthplace or because you are my fellow Belarusians. But because I knew every little bit here, every field. And it was complicated to put one over on me, deceive me or omit something,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said while talking to residents of the district.

“Time has come for agriculture to take new steps forward. We must do it. Resting on our laurels, we may miss certain things. Agriculture has become a good growth driver for us,” the head of state mentioned. Moreover, global demand for food is rising. Particularly in regions with growing population such as Africa and Asia.

“This is why we’ve decided to take another step. And start from Shklov District once again. We’ve decided how we will develop agriculture, how we will feed and clothe our people. It is the key topic we’ve talked about. We talked about personnel management, housing construction, and so on. We’ve discussed these problems. Over the course of four hours we came up with certain decisions on how Shklov District will develop and how other districts should be developed by following its example,” the head of state shared.

The first government conference took place in Shklov. On the second day a smaller meeting took place in the agrotown of Gorodishche in the territory of the agricultural holding company Kupalovskoye. Participants of the meeting discussed details of the idea to create an even larger industrial group involving Kupalovskoye, which will be taken over by the Belarus President Property Management Directorate, and involving three more local enterprises that report to the Property Management Directorate: OAO Aleksandriyskoye, ZAO ASB-Agro Gorodets, and OAO Shklov Butter Factory.

The matter had been raised the day before but the president was in no rush to make the final decision. He urged all the interested parties to once again think about it and weigh all the pros and cons. The head of state gave his approval in the end but a lot of work has yet to be done. The project is supposed to produce financial gains and efficient work, which need discipline, technologies, and basic order at times. In other words, the merger of the agricultural enterprises and the creation of integration bodies in agribusiness should not be the goal by itself.

“You should be careful with integration,” the head of state said. “Be careful when merging and separating farms. It needs consultations on the ground. We need to take into account the experience of the past and possible future developments.”

The second important aspect, which the president mentioned, is that merging should take place on the basis of well-performing agricultural enterprises with clear and understandable specialization.

Thirdly, transformations should be implemented with strict observance of all technologies, a good raw material base where the smallest details are accounted for, and strict discipline.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that not only chairpersons of district executive committees and oblast governors will be responsible for the result. “Specialists from executive committees, ministries, the central government, the Belarus President Administration, the Belarus President Property Management Directorate and the Academy of Sciences should be assigned to every project, organization, field, farm, and other objects of the program,” the head of state said.

The role of the countryside in the country’s life

“The topic for today’s discussion is order and further reforms in agriculture,” Aleksandr Lukashenko identified the purpose of the meeting upon arrival in Shklov. “There will be no country’s growth without the development of rural areas. Neither Belarus nor Russia nor Ukraine will grow. We are Slavic people. The spirit of unity is rooted in our mentality. This is why agriculture is the basis.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko backed the statement by saying that agriculture makes a substantial contribution to the GDP and plays a favorable role in the country’s image. One individual employed in agriculture provides work for 7-10 people in a city. “We can name many reasons that push us to develop agricultural production. The fact that we are good at it is quite important. We have the necessary background because we have not destroyed the foundation that was created in the Soviet Union for the development of agricultural production, which in turn keeps a large part of the manufacturing sector busy. The production of agricultural machines is half of our manufacturing sector. It is a great thing,” the Belarusian leader pointed out.

A separate instruction given by the head of state focused on dairy complexes: in three years all the dairy complexes, which are being built and modernized in Belarus, should be immaculate. Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “Complexes, more complexes, and complexes all the way. You have to forget these farms. Three years is the deadline. All the dairy complexes should be as good as new. There are not that many people. They want to live in normal homes and work at modern complexes. We’ve adopted this program. It needs to be implemented.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko announced a new serious conversation about the flax industry. All the problems starting with flax cultivation and ending with the manufacturing of ready-made products and their sales are expected to be discussed in Orsha in autumn.

District-level presidents

Six hours of two conferences covered a lot of topics. Shortcomings were analyzed in detail. Tasks were formulated. Global and private issues were looked into. But all of it is impossible to implement without human resources and skilled executives, who have rather concrete powers that everyone understands.

This is why Aleksandr Lukashenko drew attention to the status of heads of district administrations first. It is no secret that district administrators can be often restricted in their actions de facto when they have to deal with enterprises and organizations with various affiliations. For instance, police, the prosecution service, and other defense, security, and law enforcement officers report to their superiors in Minsk. Some of the agricultural enterprises located in, for example, Shklov District belong to the Belarus President Property Management Directorate. Some industrial enterprises may be run by industry-specific ministries. And so on and so forth. As a result, the chairperson of the district executive committee can influence various processes only indirectly. Yet they are held accountable for overall results. The president is not satisfied with the situation. “I think you have questions for us. For me,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The head of state noted that for all intents and purposes Belarus lacks a regulatory act on the chairpersons of district executive committees that clearly addresses the relevant matters. “But they need to be able to open a book and read all about their authority and functions,” the president noted.

“The chairman of the district executive committee is the president in the territory of the district. I said it a long time ago,” the head of state noted. “It is very important for the chairman of the district executive committee to be the president in this territory. Police, the prosecution service, banks, and the rest do not have to report to him (they have the relevant authority). But they have to follow in his wake with the president’s representative, the head of the district administration in the lead.”

The head of the district administration should have the ability to use all the structures in the territory of his region. “If necessary, he should contact the oblast governor, who will provide support with other matters,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added. According to the president, it is necessary to regulate at the legislative level the mutual relations between municipal authorities and the management of industrial enterprises owned by the central government and located in territories of the relevant districts.

There are plans to include all the personnel management and, as the president put it, human rights into the sphere of responsibility of the heads of district administrations. But not the way human rights are imposed on Belarus but the normal way, including efforts to ensure the right of people to decent jobs and wages.

“Personnel matters, other matters, matters relating to genuine human rights (just my way to generalize it) such as jobs, wages, and the rest should be on the plate of the head of the district administration. He should manage all these processes,” Aleksandr Lukashenko explained.

More than once the president referred to the person of the new Chairman of the Shklov District Executive Committee Sergei Bartosh, who had been the agriculture and food minister until recently. The head of state noted that people in Shklov District already describe Sergei Bartosh as a strong executive that is difficult to fool. “He will not let you live a calm life here because he has experience and knowledge ranging from an executive to the minister,” the president pointed out.

“You are man of the earth. I strongly expect you to produce results here. All kinds of support will be provided,” the head of state said.

Apart from that, the president reminded everyone about the need to fulfill his “One district – one project” instruction. In his words, it will become kind of an exam for heads of district administrations. The situation will be assessed across the country soon and performance of the personnel on the ground will be evaluated. Another demand of the head of state concerns the restoration of district enterprises in charge of providing agricultural services.

Conditions for getting government funding

Heads of all the agricultural enterprises in Orsha District and Shklov District were invited to participate in the conference in Shklov. Among other things they received first-hand information about conditions for getting the funding for various projects and events. Considerable support has been granted to the countryside over the years, including to enterprises located in the districts, and there is no money to spare. This is why efficiency is the main criterion now.

“We have already exhausted the potential of obvious solutions and earned $8 billion in exports. It is a large amount of money, no other economy branch gives so much. All of that has been exhausted. It is now necessary to focus on technologies. Technological discipline and executive discipline should be prioritized. Without it don't even start investing in it. That is why before asking for money, applying to banks, to the government, and especially to me, prove that every ruble you invest will come back tenfold,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

For instance, the head of state wondered about the state of affairs at the Orsha meat-packing plant since considerable financial resources had been allocated for modernizing the enterprise. Aleksandr Lukashenko was assured that order had been restored at the enterprise, an old slaughterhouse had been demolished, and new facilities are being set up at the premises. The enterprise is still operating below capacity but the workload is gradually rising. The available raw materials are one of the factors at play.

The enterprise has a line manufacturing baby food. Aleksandr Lukashenko drew attention to it because these products are in extreme demand in a number of countries Belarus cooperates with. For instance, Zimbabwe. The baby food line is now operating at 65% of its capacity but thanks to contracts with partners in Russia and in Africa the figure is expected to rise to 95% by the end of the year.

Another interesting and potentially promising project is the production of food for cats and dogs. The project is now being evaluated by the Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus. Participants of the conference discussed its cost and a number of other business aspects. A vision of future sales was discussed. “It is necessary to calculate everything very fast,” the president stressed.

He pointed out that it is necessary to make quality food at competitive prices. Then it will be in demand not only on the home market but also abroad. “Sit down with the government and make up your minds. But make up your minds within a week. Make a decision. Yes or no,” the Belarusian leader instructed.

The demand not to skimp on wages of workers

Aleksandr Lukashenko encouraged executives to look for ways to reduce prime costs of their products without offering low wages to workers.

“Men, don’t skimp on wages. I am not saying you should pay people the money they haven’t earned. But don’t skimp on it. If a person needs paying, pay him or her. Work as if you run a private company. Although I don’t think you are deterred by something. When I was the head of an agricultural enterprise, I didn’t have these problems,” the Belarusian leader stressed.

He called for looking for ways to reduce prime costs and suggested saving money on moving harvesting equipment from the field to the engine yard. “If you harvest a field that is 20km away from the engine yard, you will spend monthly wages of ten people by moving the equipment one time. Think. Work on prime costs. But don’t skimp on wages,” the head of state advised.

Transgressions that will not be forgiven

Addressing participants of the meeting and, as a matter of principle, executives of all levels, the president warned them to stay away from any corruption manifestations.

“Men, I will support you, give your medical treatment, feed you. I will do anything. The only thing I will not be able to help you with is if you engage in unsavory ventures. Corruption is an exception. There will be no forgiveness. It is over the limit for me. It’s impossible,” the Belarusian leader warned.

“You will never do anything secretly anywhere. Hear me at last. Don’t do it. If you produce results, we will always find a bit of money to help you. But stay out of corruption. I’m just asking and warning you. Economic destruction plus the rust of corruption equals war. A terrible business,” the president cautioned. “Wars start with economy. This is why I always remind you that we’d better work quietly in a quiet and calm country instead of fighting a war.”

“Repressions”, discipline, and Soviet experience of managing human resources

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that he demands performance discipline from executives and will continue pushing for it. “I always warn you. I even use such a bad word as repressions. I speak figuratively. This is why let’s focus and enforce discipline from top to the bottom. Tension is created upstairs. You need to transfer it to your subordinates to make everyone work.”

There are problems with finding candidates for executive positions in Belarusian agricultural enterprises. Aleksandr Lukashenko encouraged looking into offices of government agencies among other places since there are too many specialists over there at times. “While we lack one or two heads of agricultural enterprises in the district. The first place to find them. It applies to everyone,” he noted.

At the same time the president urged to put more efforts into personnel retention on the ground. Mandatory job assignment after graduation from a higher education institution should be accompanied by certain stimuli for young specialists. “Since there are problems with specialists, well, you have to court them,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The third thing the head of state encouraged is to maintain discipline as a whole and technological discipline in particular. “The head of an agricultural enterprise holds a shift meeting and gives out assignments. If someone fails to carry them out… We know such individuals. Every agricultural enterprise has two or three people like that,” the president said. “These careless attitudes to work must be eliminated. The Communist Party was a deterring factor back in the day. If you are expelled from the Communist Party, then you will be fired and your entire life will be ruined.”

“If good specialists, human resources are available, then you will have results. And you need performance discipline for that. And technological discipline as a minor detail. If it is a requirement, then you have to sow crops at this time. You have to apply as much fertilizer as the standard requires,” the head of state stressed.

Speaking about human resources, Aleksandr Lukashenko drew attention to contract commitments: “You get a civilized contract. Obligations of the chairperson of the district executive committee specified by the state on one hand. Obligations of the executive on the other hand,” he said. “The president’s personnel pool, the oblast governor’s personnel pool. He has the power to assign jobs, authorize employment, and so on. Without this laxness.”

“Everything I say comes from Soviet experience. We should borrow the best practices from it, including the management of personnel resources and so on,” the Belarusian leader added.

Focus on rental housing

During the government conference Aleksandr Lukashenko also shared plans regarding the construction of rental housing in Belarus. Rental housing will be built where it is necessary.

“If you need a house in some district, then you just need to prove that people will move into it,” the president said.

He remarked that he does not want to repeat the experience of building five so-called presidential houses in every agricultural enterprise as part of a government program. “Things will be different now. We will build to accommodate needs of enterprises. For example, we need to build a plant at MAZ in Minsk in order to make buses to meet strong demand. Then we will give you rental housing for the sake of this manufacturing project just like in Soviet times,” the Belarusian leader explained.

Aleksandr Lukashenko clarified that such rental housing should come with certain commitments, including on the part of heads of agricultural enterprises and companies. In other words, such houses will not be built for organizations for free. “The organization will have to buy it. If you cannot do it, well, we will look at options: deferral of payment, installment plans, and price adjustments. We have to find [an acceptable variant] so that the head of the enterprise would understand that it is not just a gift from heavens,” the head of state added.

DEFCON 1. How did Belarus respond to a provocation involving Ukrainian drones?

The violation of Belarus’ airspace by a group of strike drones launched from Ukraine’s territory became a hot-button topic of the week. Belarusian and Russian air defense forces acted smoothly, destroyed all the targets, and no damage was inflicted, but as they say, there is lingering aftertaste. Aleksandr Lukashenko personally commented on the situation during a working trip to Shklov District.

“At 18:10 yesterday [on 9 August] Belarus’ Air Force and Air Defense assets were put on high alert. We call it number one readiness. Duty air defense forces. The thing is… We suspect that it was not the first time. The Armed Forces of Ukraine violated all the rules of conduct and violated the airspace of the Republic of Belarus. In the eastern direction. Quite near us. In the area of Kostyukovichi District,” the president said. “This is why Air Defense forces were put on full combat alert to intercept targets. There were about ten of them. Several aircraft and a helicopter were scrambled. And MLRS assets were also put on high alert.”

“At 19:04 at an altitude of 1.5km and a range of 6.5km the Air Defense forces destroyed several targets over the territory of Belarus. The search for what was destroyed went in the night and this morning. We suspect that these were attack drones. They were flying from Ukraine and violated Belarus’ air space. We destroyed the targets over the territory of Belarus. The rest were handed over to the Russian Federation. We have the unified air defense system with Russia. According to the Russian General Staff and the commander in charge of this area of Russia’s Air Defense, those targets were hit near Yaroslavl. The first direction was Smolensk. Then those flying over Russia changed the flight trajectory and headed towards Yaroslavl. But they were intercepted by Russian air defense systems and destroyed,” the Belarusian leader stated.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said that the Defense Ministry, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus had been ordered to take the necessary measures in order to reliably ensure the security of the state. “I do not understand why Ukraine needs this. We need to figure it out. As I said before, we made it clear to them that any provocations will not go unanswered,” he said.

“The unpleasant thing is that the Ukrainians, as I have warned you many times, show by such steps that they are not ready for any peace and continue to escalate these tensions. Two days ago they attacked the Kursk direction where they advanced by tens of kilometers. They are digging trenches over there. And now we have this provocation with the aim to deliver strikes against the Russian Federation,” the Belarusian leader stated “I wouldn’t want to deal with these matters in this manner today but it is unavoidable. I think that this provocation will be discussed in mass media for a long time. But to avoid conspiracy theories once again, I’ve just informed you about what happened.”

“Men, it indicates once again that we should work on the land tirelessly and produce the relevant results in order to avoid what is going on in Ukraine today,” Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded.

SOMETHING TO LEARN FROM. What “palace” did Aleksandr Lukashenko examine in Orsha District?

On Sunday, 11 August Aleksandr Lukashenko continued working in the country’s east. The head of state came to Agrokombinat Yubileiny in Orsha District, Vitebsk Oblast.

The president examined the state of affairs in the company, development prospects and how the instructions given during previous visits had been fulfilled. The discussions included the structure of the agricultural company, the development of the social sphere, and housing construction. The central estate of Yubileiny is the agrotown of Babinichi, which boasts a well-developed infrastructure, including a good school, a kindergarten, and sport facilities.

“This is the main purpose agrotowns have been set up for,” Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked. He emphasized the need to repair roads leading to agrotowns wherever necessary in order to ensure good logistics.

"If there are natural gas supply networks, all the amenities, gorgeous nature, why not come [to work for the agricultural enterprise]?” the head of state noted.

“The nature is gorgeous. There is also a kindergarten, a good school, sport facilities have been repaired,” Director of OAO Agrokombinat Yubileiny Aleksandr Firsin confirmed.

The head of state had visited this agricultural company before. In June 2022 Aleksandr Lukashenko got familiar with the operation of the company’s dairy complex Kupalinka and visited the machinery yard. Back then a number of practical matters were discussed, including the arrangement of the site covering, search for an optimal solution for heating the workshops in winter from the point of view of efficiency and cost effectiveness. The construction of technological complexes at the robotized dairy complex Pavlinka was discussed in July 2023.

A palace-like machine yard

This time Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the central machine yard first. Preservation and proper maintenance of machines, vehicles, and equipment is one of the top priorities in the agricultural sector.

Agrokombinat Yubileiny Aleksandr Firsin told the president that they had connected the machine yard to the natural gas supply network, installed infrared heaters, and built showers. In other words, comfortable conditions have been created for the workers and for repairing the machines and vehicles.

"Слушай, это ж дворец", - оценил результаты Президент.

“Listen, it is a palace,” the president appreciated the results.

A similar approach was used to spruce up another, smaller machine yard of the agricultural enterprise. The matter was approached from the point of view of efficiency and reasonable economy.

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that this experience should be used by other agricultural enterprises as well. “He has the main machine yard and two smaller ones at former farms. He has not ruined them. He fenced them in, put them in order. Some machines and vehicles can be stored there. Some minor repairs and routine repairs can be done. But the main activities with machinery are carried out here [at the central machine yard],” the Belarusian leader concluded. “You have to be smart like he is. He gradually built up his agricultural enterprise by expanding, adding things. And the result is good. But, most importantly, this is something to learn from. This is why other executives can come here and learn how things should be done. The main things are a machine yard, a grain facility, complexes. You cannot do without them. This is the main base.”

High yields and no fear of technologies

While on a tour of Agrokombinat Yubileiny Aleksandr Lukashenko was also made familiar with progress in the harvesting campaign, results and prospects of the company.

“We are harvesting wheat today. Unfortunately, the weather is a little bit unfavorable,” Aleksandr Firsin, Director of OAO Agrokombinat Yubileiny, started the report. “The weather is perfect,” the head of state objected right away.

“We are not complaining. We have harvested 55% [of the area under crops]. The average yield is 58.6 centners per hectare. Wheat yields are 72-75 centers per hectare today. Winter barley has already been harvested, with yields at 48 centners per hectare. Spring barley is also somewhere at 48-50 centners per hectare. Triticale is about 60 centners per hectare. I think we will get some 38,000 tonnes of grain this year,” the director said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko asked whether it would be enough to feed the livestock. “I am already thinking about how to sell some,” Aleksandr Firsin said.

The director said that the agricultural enterprise has 5,000 head of cattle, milk yields are on the rise: “I think this year we will reach the milk yield of 10,000kg per cow. We will sell some 40,000 tonnes of milk this year.”

The fodder harvest of the agricultural enterprise is also excellent this year. “We would have started harvesting grain even faster. But we had to harvest the grass we’d sown. They matured just in time,” Aleksandr Firsin said. Fodders are prepared for storage according to the technology, but sometimes the surplus has to go into silage clamps.

“You’d better build trenches after all,” Aleksandr Lukashenko advised.

“We are building trenches. This year, frankly speaking, I did not expect such grass harvests. We are doing the third cut of alfalfa. I think there will be a fourth one,” Aleksandr Firsin explained.

Returning to the topic of animal husbandry, they discussed the development of modern dairy complexes, reproduction of livestock: what materials should be used to build premises, how some technological matters should be handled and other things. “Feel free to build them out of gold,” Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked while emphasizing that efficiency and the final financial result are the key.

Aleksandr Lukashenko wondered whether Yubileiny was afraid of operating large complexes with a lot of cattle. Sanitary conditions were put into question and the risk of diseases spreading, which could inevitably lead to losses.

But Aleksandr Firsin assured that everything is strict in this matter: “Everything is fenced off. There is a strict sanitary pass. Clothes are washed three times. We have our own laundry.” So the secret, as the president says, is in technology and discipline.

Mentorship

The president believes it is necessary to more carefully approach work with heads of agricultural enterprises in terms of increasing their qualifications and spreading the cutting-edge practices. “I noticed it at [the agricultural holding company] Kupalovskoye yesterday. We sometimes replace the top managers too often. We do not work with them. I see that they are good guys. They offer good reasons and understand things. But I feel that they do not get the attention they used to get. They didn’t get to enjoy long conversations in the past either but they were treated humanely somehow,” the head of state pointed out.

“Why can’t you learn some things from Yubileiny, from Ustye [a flax cultivating enterprise in Orsha District]? Flax farming, for example? But managers themselves should strive for it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

Even minor details can be borrowed. For example, when on a tour of the agricultural enterprise, Aleksandr Lukashenko paid attention to the reclamation of former allotment gardens for the sake of agricultural turnover. They used to serve as additional farming land plots but are no longer used by people.

“Make sure to plow all former allotment gardens where people used to live. Everything should be plowed,” the head of state emphasized.

Director of Agrokombinat Yubileiny Aleksandr Firsin noted that they are doing everything to maximize the use of such plots. The company interacts with village councils on the matter. If someone cultivates an allotment garden but the land around it is already vacant, they offer to move the garden to a more convenient location, providing everything necessary for its development. “For example there is an isolated allotment garden with the land around sitting idle. We offer the owner to relocate it and offer free help with soil tillage. And we can provide free manure. We put maximum effort in it today,” the head of the agricultural company noted.

“This is the right approach,” the president responded.

Patronage programs

Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned the importance of providing patronage to agricultural enterprises. The matter was also discussed during the meeting in Shklov on 9 August where efficient development of agricultural production in Shklov District and Orsha District was reviewed.

“We talked about patronage. It seems to me that our plant [Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant] in Bolbasovo is underutilized. After all, there are enough personnel there. This plant should engage in patronage assistance,” he said.

The matter of patronage assistance was raised as part of the conversation concerning the work of two Orsha District agricultural enterprises – Zubrevichi-Agro and Mezhevo-Agro. “They are quite a lot of work. I hope to god he will be able to turn around these enterprises,” the president said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that patronage assistance does not necessarily mean the allocation of financial resources: “They may not give him money. So what? But any equipment and vehicles can be repaired at that base. And they can help repair it. Restoring and repairing machinery means a lot.”

According to the president, it is also necessary to borrow the relevant practices from Agrokombinat Yubileiny, including how the operation of its machine yards and beautification efforts are organized.

“The provider of patronage assistance needs to be a strong enterprise. I mean Bolbasovo. Zubrevichi is not far away. There is a lot to do there. The plant can lend people. Machine operators for harvesting. I am sure there are men to spare over there. At least 2-3 persons. They are the working class after all. The plant itself will get some additional workload. It is easier for me to support the plant. In turn, the plant will get involved in it. You need to make it clear that the plant must provide patronage assistance,” the president told Chairman of the Orsha District Executive Committee Igor Moroz.

The head of state instructed to once again examine the state of affairs in the district: “It’s up to you [the head of the district administration]. You should look into it. It is necessary to increase the workload of the factories. It will be easier for you to work with these enterprises. Even if they are struggling like the instrumental plant, they still have people.” Aleksandr Lukashenko is sure that it is possible to find smart people, machine operators to periodically provide help with harvesting or something else.