Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko names key tasks for EAEU during pandemic

MINSK, 14 April (BelTA) – During a video conference meeting of members of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on 14 April Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko outlined the most important issues the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has to address in the face of the pandemic, BelTA has learned.

First of all, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized the importance of preserving transit flows. Secondly, he urged to keep reconciling decisions and applying common rules regulating external trade, which is the core part of the union. Thirdly, the president deems it necessary to take effective measures to deepen cooperation in the manufacturing industry.

Transit and transportation

Aleksandr Lukashenko told his counterparts about measures taken by Belarus: “You all know that we have retained transit via Belarus in the interests of the EAEU. We check all arrivals on the border with the European Union. These are mostly trucks. We check drivers and do it very rigorously. We have earmarked three corridors for heavyweight trucks that transport goods via Belarus. The bulk of the cargo they carry is meant for your states. We have designated the rest areas for these truck drivers and established a tough control over there. In other words, there are no obstacles at all. More than that, there has not been a single incidence of rejecting arrivals from your states and any other states if these people comply with the rules established by Belarus.

“I believe we should act within the limits of reasonable sufficiency. I think that some transportation corridor between the states should remain in place and not only in Belarus. It would be good to establish such a corridor via Russia to Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and so on,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.

In his words, there are proposals to designate the routes and the rest areas where drivers can have a rest and refuel. In these areas enhanced preventive measures should be in place, like it was done in Belarus. “These channels will be available to our nationals who return home,” the president noted.

“Belarus is acting responsibly. We are not closing the border and we do as much as we can to help our people come back home,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Common rules regulating external trade

“Exemptions are possible in exceptional cases. However, in general we need to keep reconciling our decisions,” the Belarusian head of state said.

In his words, first of all this pertains to meeting domestic needs in products that are currently in high demand or some critical products. First of all, these are medical supplies, including medicines, equipment and protective gear. 

“Taking into consideration that the whole world is now seeking to bulk up their medical supplies, it would be a very lucrative business to sell such products to third countries. However, one of the goals of the union is to improve the living standards and the quality of life of our citizens. Therefore, even if we want to send humanitarian aid to third countries, I would suggest putting the needs of the EAEU market first. The same pertains to other types of assistance for our nationals,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

He believes that in the current situation the risk of disruptions in the manufacturing sector – the foundation of any economy – and manufacturing ties has never been so high. “We spent more than six years building these ties and the work is still in progress. We can put everything we have achieved at risk even unconsciously by using popular infection containment measures. How will we restore our capacities and technological chains when the pandemic is over?” the Belarusian president said.

“You have already noticed, even the so-called democratic European states and the USA, to say nothing of China, came to their senses very fast. Today some of them, experiencing the peak of the pandemic, are scaling down their response and taking some steps to facilitate economic recovery. Indeed, we see an increasing number of stories in the media signaling about imminent hunger even in the rich countries of the European Union. Therefore, we should no way move along the path that will lead us to economic destruction,” the Belarusian leader said.

Cooperation in manufacturing and foodstuffs

Aleksandr Lukashenko called for meaningful expansion of cooperation in the manufacturing sector. “If we use raw materials of each other in manufacturing, this should be mutually taken into account while subsidizing the final product. Thus, it is of paramount importance that governments should incorporate regulations about manufacturing subsidies into national legislations,” the president stated.

Aleksandr Lukashenko believes that this decision will help resolve the following problems: “The majority of international experts share a view that the world will face food shortages after the pandemic. Large-scale quarantine measures around the world disrupted production cycles in agriculture.”

According to the head of state, the increased demand for foodstuffs has made it clear that this issue should be addressed at the highest level. “By taking timely decisions, we will be able to produce enough food products,” the head of state is convinced.

Support for worst-hit economic sectors

“We cannot disregard general macroeconomic measures. At the same time, we need to come up with universal and flexible instruments to support the sectors that were affected the worst by the decrease in economic activity,” the president underlined.

In his view, to this end it is necessary to promptly adjust the operation of the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development and the Eurasian Development Bank to meet current economic needs. “The fund should be tasked and authorized to take fast decisions on easing procedures for receiving aid. By the way, all international financial organizations have already done it, including the International Monetary Fund. These can be sovereign loans, stabilization loans, grants to support healthcare systems. The Eurasian Development Bank could also support its borrowers from our countries by restructuring their debts on projects, by providing targeted loans on soft terms and offering additional mechanisms of fast response,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

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