Lukashenko urges Belarusian exporters not 'to seek fortune' in Russia
The Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA) reports that during a working visit to the Dzyarzhynsk District in Minsk Oblast, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered to search for new export markets due to issues with exports to Russia.
"We need to clarify things. If they are going to pressure us no matter what, we will seek our fortune in other places," said Lukashenko.
He added that he will meet with President Vladimir Putin after his inauguration to "address all the issues in detail." “You should not focus on one market all the time," the President noted.
Lukashenko stressed that Belarus does not supply poor-quality goods to Russia. "Therefore, we will make decisions this year…We are doing the right thing and are [still] constantly on our knees," he summed up.
Earlier on Friday, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) announced that, beginning March 31, deliveries from two more Belarusian enterprises producing dairy products, Moloko and Zdravushka Milk, have been banned. The Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus, Leonid Zayats, told BelTA that the ban was introduced without an explanation of specific reasons.
Also on March 31, imports of JSC Shchuchin Butter products from Belarus to Russia were banned due to repeated detection of antibiotics in its cheese. Enhanced control procedures were introduced for products of the following companies: JSC Rybkhoz Polese, OJSC Minsk Meat Plant, and OJSC Pridneprovsky Agrokombinat.