Belarus keen to produce homegrown aircraft

Civilian aircraft manufacturing may begin in Belarus.

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement as he met with employees of the organizations located at the premises of Minsk National Airport on 11 August, BelTA has learned.

According to the head of state, the relocation of the Minsk Civil Aviation Plant to the territory of Minsk National Airport became a new milestone in the life of the enterprise.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “I wouldn't even call it a plant: it should be treated as a beginning. It is the first step in this direction. We will do everything to support repair and service divisions and maybe the creation, construction of our own aircraft. We will promote it. We have two major sites: a military plant in Baranovichi and a civil one here. If you can make some military products, I will be only grateful and will support you. If that enterprise makes something for you, for civilians, I will also support it. But since we've started manufacturing automobiles, I have this crazy thought (if I have the time to start it in my presidential life): if we manage to start making an aircraft of our own, I will be simply happy. It means my new dream may come true. So I have this crazy thought regarding taking the production of civilian aircraft to the next level. We've mastered repairs and maintenance. Customers have virtually no complaints about you. We will move forward.”

The EU countries are Belarus' neighbours and we should not sever contacts with them, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he talked to the labour collective of Minsk National Airport, according to BelTA.

“Now we make money primarily in the East: in Russia, China. But we must not discard contacts with the high-tech West. They are nearby, the European Union is our neighbour. And we should maintain contacts with them. We are ready for this, but there should be due consideration for our interests. Believe me, the time will come (using your professional terms, I would say that now we are going through the period of turbulence), and in 2024-2025 there will be serious changes in the world,” the head of state said.

Back at the solemn meeting on the occasion of Independence Day, Aleksandr Lukashenko instructed the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to suggest a good neighbourliness and peace plan to the Western neighbours.

“And we need to talk to the Poles. I told the prime minister to contact them. If they want, we can talk, patch up our relations. We are neighbours, and this is something you cannot choose, neighbours are given by God. They are having parliamentary elections on 15 October, so they are trying to whip up tensions in order to prove that arming and re-arming the country was the right thing to do. Therefore, before 15 October, they are unlikely to make any significant steps that will benefit them and us. They demand and ask a lot from us, but we cannot agree to this, because it is contrary to our interests,” the president stressed.

He added that it was not Poland's decision to rock the boat in the region - Poland is being pushed to do so by the United States. “The Americans have staked on Poland. But the Poles are not stupid people. We are related people, the Slavs. They understand everything perfectly. Let's wait and see. We are open for cooperation,” the head of state said.