Lukashenka not ready to give up on foreign gourmet foods

Belarus does not plan to reject imported food supplies for the home market.

Such a statement has been made by Lukashenka, his press-service informs.

“As for our domestic market, we have had a special discussion of this matter. This is our internal matter. If we need Polish apples, we buy them, not for Russia, but for domestic consumption. If we need some German delicacies, we buy them, but also for our domestic consumption,” he said on Monday when he listened to the report of Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich.

Lukashenka has also added that the country is to continue buying abroad raw materials for the food industry, if necessary. “If we need to process something, we buy and process it,” the ruler explained. “In this regard, we must be honest and conduct, as we promised, an honest policy towards Russia.”

Lukashenka stated that Belarus should fulfill its obligations to protect the market of the “union state” in the transit of goods to Russia through its territory.

“In the phone talk with the President of Russia we discussed the protection, as he said, of the Russian market. It means that we should fulfill our obligations to protect the union state market (we have the common customs in the customs space) regarding the transit of goods from the West to Russia via Belarus,” Lukashenka said. “As Russia closed its market for certain goods, we should not allow the transit of these products to Russia via Belarus.”

Touching upon the issues of transit of goods from other countries via Belarus to Russia, he stressed that he adheres to the agreements reached during the recent phone talk with president Vladimir Putin.