Belarusian president urges foreign minister to take measures to find new markets

Baku. 13 December. REPORT.AZ/ Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday urged Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey to take measures to diversify export and find new markets.

“Naturally, old problems remain - they are exports. Our economy is open and the bulk of what is produced in the country is sold on foreign markets. This is the root of our foreign policy strategy,” Lukashenko said at a meeting with the foreign minister.

The president said that Belarus’ diplomatic missions abroad should be more active in tackling export-related issues, especially taking into account the situation on the Russian market. “It is our key market. We sold almost half of our output there. And now you see what is going on there,” he said, informs Report citing TASS.

He also noted that the situation in Kazakhstan was not very good either, following a recent devaluation of the national currency. “Ukraine, another major market for us, is ruined,” he said.

“Diversification of exports, the search for new markets is a top-priority task, the question of survival for the country and this is what the ministry of foreign affairs should bear in mind,” Lukashenko stressed.

The Belarusian leader said the foreign minister must use all possible resources to solve this task. “These are the most important tasks for the foreign ministry and the government in general,” he underscored.

Touching on foreign policy priorities, Lukashenko said the situation in this area was not bad. “We have no ambitions on the international arena, we are not seeking to position ourselves as a global player, we are not meddling with others’ problems and affairs,” the Belarusian president said, adding that his country was not seeking to create problems to anyone..