Events

MINSK, 5 April (BelTA) – The forestry sector needs a nationwide approach, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he appointed Vitaly Drozhzha Forestry Minister of Belarus on 5 April, BelTA has learned.

“Bring order to forests, so that there were no bribes and timber would not be sold abroad for peanuts. We need a nationwide approach here. [Chairman of the State Control Committee Leonid] Anfimov said that you are a public person. You need to be a public person as you are going to deal with a public sector. Forest has always been a public affair,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

At the meeting with the new minister, the head of state also touched upon reforestation and demanded that more seedlings be planted in the country on empty territories, and also instead of cut down trees. “We need not only to restore the forests, which we cut down. You just have a look at how many vacant areas we have. This year there will be a great demand for this planting stock,” the president said.

The Belarusian leader said that he plans to plant young trees this year. Head of the President's Administration Natalya Kochanova plans visit her homeland to plant young trees there. The head of state believes that it is necessary to involve in this work as many people as possible.

The head of state added that although he had not personally met with Vitaly Drozhzha before, he is aware of his activities at his previous post of director general of the Braslav Lakes National Park. “When I come to Braslav Lakes, I am always interested in how this natural reserve functions,” the president said. “Once I made a decision to protect the reserve, and we have created a national park there”.