Grodno Oblast governor sees new opportunities in time of sanctions

Grodno Oblast has experienced no catastrophic consequences due to the policy of Western sanctions, BelTA learned from Chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee Vladimir Karanik.

The official said: “New logistic chains are being established. New ways to transfer money are being found. None of our processing enterprises is on the lists of sanctions, which allows us to calmly work on.”

The Grodno Oblast governor said that Grodno Oblast has all the food it needs. “It is our main export potential. I think it will continue to remain so. We understand that turbulence on foreign markets will drive up food prices. It is an objective trend seen all over the world. Our job is to make food accessible and take compensatory measures, which will allow unprotected population strata to fully satisfy their needs,” Vladimir Karanik stressed.

The official clarified that at present Grodno Oblast economy is geared towards export. Grodno Oblast's well-developed agriculture allows satisfying the domestic demand in addition to exporting considerable amounts of food. For instance, 70% of the region's dairy products are exported. About half of the output of the local meat-packing plants is exported. These products sell well abroad.

In his words, the main task of Grodno oblast today is to enable logistics because it some old logistic chains may no longer be operational. “We are still dedicated to globalization principles, which envisage free flow of capital and goods. Unlike our Western partners, which restrict the main principles of free trade, free movement of finance now,” he added.

BelTA – News from Belarus