Opinions & Interviews

“I would like the West to see Belarus as an independent sovereign state. That’s all,” the head of state stressed.

One of the questions was about the bilateral relations with Germany. Alexander Lukashenko reminded that Belarus used to buy a lot of German equipment for enterprises, utilized German loans, and now these funds are used to modernize enterprises.

“We are interested in an open dialogue, an agreement, a certain roadmap for the future,” the President said. “Belarus is a high-tech country, Germany is a super high-tech country, Germans are ahead of others. We need advanced technologies, energy saving, resource saving technologies, and we are ready to work in this field. Moreover, I know that Germans would like to participate in the privatization of certain enterprises. The privatization of any enterprise is not forbidden here, but I have voiced my approaches, in the same way as I see them in relation to Russia. We need to sit down at the negotiating table and come to an agreement.”

The head of state remarked that there are many representatives of German business in Belarus. “I have met with some of them. We are now in talks over the opening of new enterprises,” the President said. “Therefore, I want you to finally see Belarus as a modern independent state. This is all I want from the West. If you think that Lukashenko has changed his mind and turned to the West, don’t be naive. I understand that no one is waiting for me there. They do not need me or Belarus with its competitive products. They have Germany, France… However, let’s build normal relations and solve existing problems. Perhaps, we might be useful for you.”