Opinions & Interviews
Lukashenko passionate about implementation of projects with Equatorial Guinea
MALABO, 9 December (BelTA) – Belarus has enough technologies to advance Equatorial Guinea to another level or two. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement after negotiations with Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, BelTA has learned.
To sum up results of the negotiations, Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned several ideas he and Equatorial Guinea’s leadership had discussed. “The country should not spend foreign currency on buying the products and goods Equatorial Guinea can make. It is an axiom,” the Belarusian leader said.
“Secondly. When we meet with some representatives of countries, including with my friend from Equatorial Guinea, I always talk about technologies. And some start criticizing me: ‘What technologies are you talking about? You are not a gigantic country!’ I have to say that no, we are not a gigantic country but we have enough technologies in agriculture, manufacturing sector, and so on in order to take Equatorial Guinea to the next level or two if the country uses them,” the president remarked. “And we are ready not to simply come and grab a piece of the pie as colonialists did in the past. We are ready to teach people in Equatorial Guinea how to use these technologies as a result of our cooperation. We will pass on what we know how to do to the people of Equatorial Guinea. What the nation of this country knows how to do will be passed on to us. Including goods. It is what this cooperation is all about.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that right now Equatorial Guinea does not need some high technologies. For instance, this country does not need to launch spacecraft into outer space. The realization of more down-to-earth but extremely necessary projects is the idea.
“I would like to once again underline (the president knows it) that I want the people of Equatorial Guinea and peoples in Africa to learn that we are not coming here in order to profiteer here and now. We would like to cooperate with you on a mutually beneficial basis. We don’t want to offer charity. That would only be harmful to our nations. We will cooperate in the name of our nations,” the Belarus president said.
He also mentioned his surprise in response to what he had seen on the island where the capital city of Malabo is located. “My staffers have already told me that things are even more wonderful in the territory where you and I will drive or will fly tomorrow. You just need just a little bit more to make it a true paradise. Although you already live as if you were in paradise. You’ve set out to accomplish an ambitious task. I promise to you as a friend that we will be able to accomplish this task. All the problems Equatorial Guinea needs to deal with right now Belarus had to resolve 30 years ago. We are familiar with all of it. This is why we are at your service,” the Belarusian leader assured.
The president stated that the documents the parties had signed are generic but 74 concrete projects had already been agreed in furtherance of these documents. “It is a feat accomplished by members of the governments of Equatorial Guinea and Belarus, by our specialists. The 74 concrete projects that we have to realize within the next 2-3 years. We will start digging the ground and tackling problems in Equatorial Guinea tomorrow,” the president concluded.
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