The attitude of the Russian agricultural machines manufacturer Rostselmash, which management labeled its Belarusian competitor Gomselmash an unfair partner, is not exactly correct, said Ambassador of Russia to Belarus Alexander Surikov at a press conference on 11 June.

“The matter regarding the localization of manufacturing is raised correctly. But Rostselmash’s case does not totally fall under the category,” said the diplomat. He pointed out that Russia makes around 50% of the components Gomselmash uses. “There is nothing to debate localization-wise. It does exist. I think it is incorrect to speak about unfair practices. It would be more logical to talk about competition, which is another matter entirely,” said the Ambassador.

Asked about the commensurability of the government subsidies allocated to agriculture in Belarus and Russia, Alexander Surikov said that he believes the situation at present is rather normal because the market of agricultural products in Russia and Kazakhstan has shortages so far. If the shortages start to disappear, it would be advisable to raise the matter of reducing the artificial government support, said the diplomat. “In my opinion, at present it is necessary to raise agricultural subsidies. I don’t mean direct subsidies per liter of milk or a kilogram of meat, but investments in effective agribusiness so that we could compete with the European Union and other countries on equal terms”.

Asked about Russia’s readiness for privatizing more Belarusian companies, Alexander Surikov said that assets are bought not for the sake of buying but for making a company run more effectively. This is why there is no desire to “pocket” a Belarusian company at any cost. “We desire to become part of the Belarusian business in order to make it more effective and profitable. We aim to build mutually beneficial relations on equal terms”

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