Business news

ORSHA, 30 November (BelTA) - A decision to upgrade Orsha Linen Mill was right, but it is essential to make modernization efforts more efficient, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at the session to discuss the development of the flax industry and flax processing in Orsha on 30 November, BelTA has learned.

The head of state remarked that the decision to develop the linen industry in Belarus was made long ago, and now it is too late to argue if it was right or wrong. “I thought and still think that we made a right decision. And now you made sure of it,” Alexander Lukashenko emphasized.

However, in his words, the work is still inefficient. “My impression from today is that we should do better. We must love our country. And we must express this love through our actions rather than words,” the president said.

Alexander Lukashenko said that flax was grown in many countries such as France, China, Russia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Kazakhstan and Belarus in the past. “We occupied the sixth-seventh place aside from the Soviet Union,” he said. “Today we occupy the second place. France is still doing something in terms of quality in the linen industry. China has virtually stopped flax production. The linen industry has died completely in Russia.”

At the same time, the head of state said that people like linen products, the demand for them is increasing. “The production of linen fabrics is very important for us. The whole world and especially Europe also understand the importance of flax growing. However, the number of manufacturers is decreasing. So, back then we made the right decision to modernize the industry and this enterprise,” the president said.