BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT VOWS TO CREATE FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS FOR ARMENIAN BUSINESS

Belarusian television
June 16 2009
Minsk

[Presenter] Belarus will create most favourable conditions for Armenian
businessmen, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said at a
meeting with Armenian businessmen today [16 June].

Heads of the Multi Group concern and Ardimpex company arrived in Minsk
to study investment opportunities. The Belarusian president noted that
mutual trade with Armenia, a country which was actually isolated,
increased by 900 per cent over two or three years. The countries
have found ways of mutual supply and increased last year’s trade by
almost 20 per cent on 2007 to 28m dollars. The Belarusian president
said activity of Armenian businessmen would be welcome.

[Alyaksandr Lukashenka] At the beginning of the year, I set an
objective to myself to make Serbian and Armenian businessmen a
priority. We will provide everything necessary for them to work
here, especially to those who will make investments here. We will
create better conditions for you in Belarus than in Armenia. It
is natural because we have more opportunities. That is why we will
provide for very beneficial and good conditions for you with import
substituting goods which we do not produce in Belarus and if you open
your assembling lines here. Second, it is clear that Armenia is going
through not good times, especially because the situation has taken
this turn: there is almost no access to the West or the East. Some
positive changes have begun to show with Turkey, but [nobody knows]
when this will happen. That is why I believe that the access of
businessmen, entrepreneurs to Europe is a positive thing.