Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 15 March (BelTA) – The cooperation of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) with the public sector of the Belarusian economy will yield good results, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with EBRD First Vice President Philip Bennett on 15 March.

It was mentioned at the meeting that the new four-year EBRD strategy for 2016-2019 was passed last year. It abolished the so-called calibrated approach limiting the cooperation with the public sector.

“As a full-fledged member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Belarus has always been against unnecessary barriers, special approaches and other factors limiting our cooperation and mutual understanding. This is the platform/position we have now,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “Within the framework of the current strategy we will be able to expand cooperation in the public sector. I am convinced that this cooperation will yield good results. The development of all forms of ownership, including in the public and private sectors, is Belarus’ priority. I am grateful to you for understanding and for having no prejudice in this regard.”

The head of state stressed that Belarus and the EBRD have cooperated for more than 20 years, and this cooperation has been productive. “Big investments have been injected into the Belarusian economy in this period. These investments have been allocated for the most promising and successful projects,” the President underlined.

In recent years, the interaction of Belarus and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has reached a new level. The volume of financial resources provided by the bank in 1992-2016 exceeded €1.8 billion. An amount of €516 million was injected in projects last year.

The new four-year EBRD strategy for Belarus was adopted in September 2016. It will run till 2019. In accordance with this strategy, the bank focuses on two major aspects: higher competitiveness of the real production sector, higher sustainability and quality of services of the public infrastructure.