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Lukashenko calls for launch of aircraft production in Belarus

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MINSK, 19 December (BelTA) - During the second session of the 7th Belarusian People’s Congress, Belarusian President and Chairman of the Congress Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke about the prospects of aircraft manufacturing in Belarus, BelTA has learned.

“I insist that new industries are also needed. If a nation wants to develop, it must not only deepen production in areas where we already have expertise, but also create new ones,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The president touched upon the aircraft manufacturing: “We know how to do certain things, because for centuries, one might say, we have carried out aircraft repairs, both civilian and military.”

He noted that at one time a decision was made to relocate the civil aviation plant from Minsk to the territory of Minsk National Airport. “We moved this aircraft repair enterprise. That was the first stage. Today we are ready to expand it. It has proven useful. Specialists from Russia, where aircraft manufacturing is at a high level, visited it and were astonished. They said: ‘You [in Belarus] have specialists, excellent facilities. You need very little more to start producing aircraft’,” the head of state added.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also drew attention to the aviation repair plant in Baranovichi, where repairs were carried out and “some parts” for military aircraft were produced. “I said: ‘Let’s take these two plants and build our own aircraft together with the Russians’. No country, not even China or the United States, probably, builds aircraft alone,” the Belarusian leader remarked.

He added that Russia lacks medium-range and small aircraft, which are in demand by the hundreds and thousands. “We repaired military and civilian aircraft. Let’s start building these aircraft now,” he emphasized.

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