News & Events in Belarus

Lukashenko calls for realistic yet ambitious 2026 targets

MINSK, 16 October (BelTA) – The projections for the year 2026 should outline a realistic but ambitious scenario, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during a meeting on the draft forecast documents for the upcoming year, BelTA has learned.

“As for the forecast targets for 2026, we need a realistic yet ambitious scenario,” the president said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko does not exclude the possibility that someone might propose a growth rate higher than the estimated 2.8%. “If someone wants to propose 3-3.5%, they are welcome. [They must explain] how they are going to achieve this growth, what means they will use for that and what personal contributions they are going to make to achieve this higher dynamic. If someone proposes a lower rate, then explain how this will be perceived by our society and how Belarus will live. One cannot simply stand up and say: ‘We are planning too little now, we need more.’ More based on what?” the head of state outlined his approach.

He requested a detailed report on the drivers of the economic growth that the government estimates at 2.8%.

He stated that the Russian economy is shrinking and this situation cannot be ignored, given that Russia accounts for about 67% of Belarus’ exports and 56% of imports. “Therefore, we need detailed digitized commodity plans more than ever: what we produce and in what volumes, where we sell it, and how much foreign currency we will bring into the country,” the president emphasized.

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