17 May 2004 03:21
Russian companies can share in privatizing Belarus firms
MINSK. May 17 (Interfax-West) - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko thinks that Russian capital must be
allowed to share in the privatization of the country's enterprises.
tell them], if you want to privatize, pay cash to cover the market
value, not the book cost as some want us to agree," he said at a
"We have never obstructed and will not obstruct the operation of Russian capital, be it banks, companies or
enterprises, in Belarus. [We
"Some want us to deviate from that line and abandon these
criteria, but everything must be upright and above board so as to
meeting in Minsk on Monday with Nikolai Maksyuta, the head of Russia's Volgograd region administration.
prevent a collapse of the country," Lukashenko said.
"Belarus buys everything, even natural gas, at market prices. We do not suck Russia's body like a leech to
survive," he said.
"Today, we trade with Russia on worse terms than Latvia. We lose a lot in paying indirect taxes. But we do not
complaint. What we want is to be treated like allies," Lukashenko said. [BY EUROPE EMRG TRD RU NGS IPO] ap tl
<>
[Interfax] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
