Such meetings are traditional and necessary in order to promptly discuss topical issues. The first quarter of the year has passed. There is a need to diagnose the state and problems of the economy at an early stage in order to eliminate them in time, without waiting for the end of the year. Among the issues under discussion are several key topics: the dynamics of GDP growth and the forecast figures of the 12 months. The second important block is the export and receipt of foreign exchange earnings in the country. The rhythmic work of the economy and the welfare of the Belarusians directly depend on this. The meeting discussed diversification of trade and cooperation with our main partners. The President drew attention of the government to the inadmissibility of delaying decisions on the most sensitive issues.
Following the results of 4 months, the economy grew by 1.4%. This is in line with government expectations. As a result of 6 months it is planned to reach a growth figure of 1.8%. The government has heard and will take into account the criticism of the Head of State regarding the slow pace of exports. Despite the fact that the balance is better than last year, additional measures will have to be taken to facilitate it. Commodity and country diversification of trade will be considered. As for the situation around the supply of so-called dirty oil from Russia, this issue will be discussed at the meeting of the Belarusian Prime Minister with head of the Russian government Dmitry Medvedev. It is scheduled for the upcoming Friday.
Work will also be continued to ensure that the supply of Belarusian agricultural products to Russia goes smoothly. At the moment there is a total or partial ban on food from 6 dozen of our enterprises. Experts consider it to be discrimination and lobbying of Russian manufacturers against allied obligations. At the same time, the government notes that all agricultural products produced in Belarus are sold on the domestic or foreign markets.
