Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko calls to monetize Belarus’ political capital in Africa

MINSK, 30 October (BelTA) – Belarus’ political capital in Africa must be monetized through mutually beneficial projects,” Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting to discuss cooperation with African countries on 30 October, BelTA has learned.

The head of state noted that despite an expanded geographic presence in the region, African countries currently account for merely 2% of Belarus’ total exports. Prior to 2019, Belarus’ presence was concentrated in North Africa, with key partners including Egypt, Libya, and Sudan. Now, significant political capital has been built with Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Countries like Uganda, Botswana, Ghana, and Mozambique have also expressed interest in closer cooperation. 

Addressing the meeting’s participants, Aleksandr Lukashenko said, “You know how to monetize political capital through mutually beneficial projects.” He noted that this strategy was perfected during Belarus’ participation in Zimbabwe’s agricultural mechanization program and is now being successfully replicated in cooperation with Nigeria. To date, this has involved the delivery of over 5,000 units of Belarusian agricultural and special-purpose equipment, alongside training programs, new service centers, and future plans for local assembly. “We all understand how things should be done but we’re doing it very slowly,” the president noted.”

“A question for those present: what country will be next, and when do we begin?” he asked.

The head of state highlighted Algeria’s readiness to significantly upgrade relations backing them by major projects. “Ahead of the visit, we will review the proposals from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government. I expect to discuss specific steps and concrete economic objectives with President Tebboune in the very near future,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko. 

He noted that Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxim Ryzhenkov had recently visited the North African nation, prompting the Belarusian leader to pose a question: “Are we too late to Algeria with our products, or not?”

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