Lukashenka is going to produce weapons :: Charter'97 :: News

Alyaksandr Lukashenka mentioned Belarus’ defense potential strengthening among the core issues for the country’s authorities. He declared that in his report to the state military industrial committee. The Belarusian leader pointed out that Belarus managed to terminate conversion of the military production and stressed particular importance of the termination. ”We shall support the enterprises and produce military and defense-oriented output t of the higher quality than that of the soviet times. That is the major aim set up before the Committee”, the Belarusian leader mentioned.

According to Lukashenka in the Soviet Union there was a well-defined system of coordination of activities of development, production and deliveries of weapons and military devices. But after the USSR collapse it was ruined.

“After collapse of the USSR the decision was made by the republics on reforming of the military industrial complex. This process was named conversion. But actually it resulted in termination of worldwide- demanded military designated output and in producing spoons, pots and pans instead. In the process of conversion Belarusian defense enterprises significantly decreased and in some cases even curbed production of military- designated output”, the head of state stressed.

Alyaksandr Lukashenka remarked that among his first decisions after his being elected President was suspension of the process of conversion of the military industrial complex of Belarus, the BelTA reports.

“We rejected conversion of enterprises of the military industrial complex .It was declared definitely and openly that we were not going to produce pots and pans at the enterprises where electronic and optical devices including those for space flights and military purpose had been produced. We were doing that definitely and openly and were severely criticized for that by the West and by certain former soviet republics. But we withstood that”, Lukashenka declared.

According to him, the next step was establishing of the military industrial committee in Belarus. ”We united all the enterprises of the military industrial complex under a common roof. We definitely and transparently declared that we were going to produce goods of military and dual-purpose designation. Moreover, we shall support the enterprises and produce military and defense-oriented output of the higher quality than that of the soviet times. That is the major aim set up before the Committee”, the Belarusian leader added.