Фото: пресс-служба Лукашенко
Aliaksandr Lukashenka said that keeping dollars in reserve was dangerous, and that it was therefore better to invest funds in investment projects. According to him, he discussed the issue with Russian businessman Vladimir Potanin, who recently visited Belarus.
“The richest man in Russia. He is ready to invest. The only thing we discussed in theory was this: today Belarusians see something else as well: who needs the dollar today? Nobody needs it anymore,” Lukashenka’s press service quoted him as saying.
Lukashenka stressed that keeping dollars in reserve was dangerous because of U.S. policy, citing Russia as an example, whose several hundred billion dollars in foreign exchange reserves have been frozen in the West.
“One can imagine what will happen to… Let the Emirates, our friends, forgive me, who have about a trillion. What will they do with these dollars? Everyone sees the policy pursued by the United States in financial affairs. Keeping dollars in reserve is dangerous,” Lukashenka said.
According to Lukashenka, Potanin expressed his readiness to invest in projects in Belarus. Minsk, in turn, is ready to cooperate with the businessman’s companies in the areas of quarrying and mining equipment, as well as unmanned vehicles.
“There are Potanin scholarships. By all means — invest, help with education and culture. There is the Potanin Foundation. He is ready to finance,” Lukashenka said.
It should be recalled that at a meeting with Lukashenka on Sept. 8, Potanin said he was ready to invest, including in the Academy of Intelligent Technologies. A decree establishing it was signed on Sept. 10.
“In other words, there are these friendly, good relations and a willingness to invest in some projects. Somewhere — to build a plant, somewhere — something else. We will think together with him about specific areas of cooperation. But the issue concerned investments,” Lukashenka said.
Lukashenka noted that in their conversation they agreed that sanctions were a time of opportunities.
According to Lukashenka, the issue of investment was also discussed with Russian businessman Dmitry Mazepin.