Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 30 May (BelTA) – Belarus is eager to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) on terms no worse than those that were proposed to Russia, Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Vasily Matyushevsky said in an interview with the Belarus 1 TV channel on 29 May, BelTA has learned.

“Our firm position is that we would like to join the organization on terms that are no worse than those offered to the Russian Federation. In this case, the effect from our accession will be more positive than negative,” Vasily Matyushevsky pointed out.

When asked to comment on the feasibility of the task to create 50,000 new jobs in 2016, Vasily Matyushevsky expressed confidence that the goal is attainable. “However, in the current difficult situation this is a challenge. The task is to implement this strategy. We believe that the goal is achievable. Meanwhile, the effort should involve not only entrepreneurs who can create jobs, but also local and state-level government authorities. The task requires a serious review of our approaches to entrepreneurship and development of initiatives,” the official stressed.