Events

MINSK, 9 December (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has severely criticized the complaints that Head of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia (Rosselkhoznadzor) Sergei Dankvert had made about Belarusian food. The Belarusian head of state made the relevant remarks during the government conference held on 9 December to discuss the draft agreement on the Eurasian Economic Union’s Customs Code, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko said: “Even if everything is okay, people like Dankvert and the rest will spit, lie about and berate just like they did a short while ago. It turns out he cannot eat a piece of meat from Belarus, or a glass of milk, or a loaf of bread because the foods are not the right kind. Meanwhile, the Belarusian government stays silent about it.”

Alexander Lukashenko remarked that from the point of view of customs procedures and the customs process Belarus is totally transparent. “Everything is totally obvious, nothing can be hidden here. Even automobiles cannot be imported without paying import duties. Truth will out,” he said.

At the same time the President stated that, for instance, Kazakhstan and Russia have huge territories and long borders. It can be hard to stay on top of every process considering these factors.

Speaking about the Customs Code, the Belarusian head of state underlined that everything should be taken into account in the course of the document’s adoption. “We must not lose anything. We have nothing to yield. While the main players of our economic union — Russia and Kazakhstan — can forfeit something (they have a lot of money, you know from what sources), Belarus has no spare money like that. We earn our money with our brains and hands,” added Alexander Lukashenko.