Opinions & Interviews
Efforts to negate sanctions named Belarus’ key counter-sanction
MINSK, 6 July (BelTA) – Organizing things in a way to negate the sanctions is the key counter-sanction. Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko made the statement after the government conference hosted by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko to discuss ways to counter the sanctions against Belarus, BelTA has learned.
Roman Golovchenko said: “We are now working on ways to prevent Belarusian enterprises and industries from being damaged by the sanctions. Zero effect from the sanctions is our key counter-sanction for now.”
Roman Golovchenko pointed out it is the first time Belarus has encountered illegal sectoral sanctions that contradict the international law. “We’ve analyzed every industry that has experienced the pressure of the sanctions. We’ve singled out all the risks. We’ve evaluated possible losses and formulated a trajectory for minimizing these losses,” he said.
In his words, the government adequately evaluates possible losses. “Even according to international evaluations the consolidated financial and trade sanctions do not create conditions for a substantial disruption of the country’s economy. We know how to negate the consequences. I am convinced that the Belarusian people will not feel the sanctions although it is the people these sanctions are aimed at,” the prime minister stressed.
Roman Golovchenko described the successful development of the national economy as one of the reasons behind the pressure on Belarus. “Contrary to all the alarmists, who predict our downfall time and again, our export is rising rather well – nearly one third up in January-May 2021. We received extra $4 billion. The country’s balance of payments looks at its best in the last ten years,” the head of government underlined.
Yet Roman Golovchenko said he hopes that common sense will prevail in the West and the pressure will stop. “We are still ready for a dialogue. We are ready to discuss all the problems at the negotiating table in the interests of our country and the Belarusian people but only without diktat,” he said.
In his words, during the government conference the head of state was informed about all the specified matters and the president supported the strategy and the tactics the government had suggested. “On the one hand, there is no panic. On the other hand, we have no light-hearted attitude to it. We understand the seriousness of the moment. It is the first time such measures have been enforced against a European country in the European territory. But we have durability reserves. We have strength and will,” he stated.
Asked to clarify how far Belarus is ready to go in implementing response measures and whether counter-sanctions can affect transit traffic among other things, Roman Golovchenko said: “As for transit and other routes, we have this option. But we will have to see how our European partners behave and use the measures that will be adequate right now and will not damage the Belarusian economy.”
“We don’t really like trade wars. We have a number of steps of political and diplomatic nature. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made rather harsh steps last week and in late June. We have worked out additional steps that we will take if pressure on our country becomes stronger,” the prime minister said.
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