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All Belarusian factories operating as normal - PM

Neither Minsk nor Moscow questions Belarus’ independence, PM says

MINSK, August 20. /TASS/. All Belarusian factories are working as normal, while output targets are 100% met, Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko told ONT TV Thursday.

"Workforce is not aching to strike," he said. "The government is now monitoring the situation at the largest industrial factories. Overall, around 650,000 people work there, but the latest reports suggest that only 360 of them did not start working or are not fulfilling their duties."

He also cited an example of the Minsk Tractor Works where around 16,000 people work, but only 500 of them took to streets in the first days. "Emotions have subsided now," he underlined.

"At the same time, many media outlets, including foreign ones, publish biased information, saying that Belarus is paralyzed," the prime minister continued. "All factories in Belarus work as normal, output activity is not lowered anywhere, targets are met," he reassured.

Economic disputes

There may be economic disputes between Belarus and Russia but neither Minsk nor Moscow questions the independence and sovereignty of Belarus, the country’s Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said in an interview with the ONT TV channel on Thursday.

"Things happen, including between Belarus and Russia, there are economic disputes. But we are an independent state and no one question the sovereignty and independence of our state," he pointed out.

According to Golovchenko, allegations that Moscow dominates the Union State of Russia and Belarus and the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEU) are groundless because member states are equal.

"All integration unions, from the CIS [the Commonwealth of Independent States] to the EAEU, were created to preserve what had been achieved before, that is, ties. There was a need to create a platform on the ruins of the Soviet Union to resolve issues related to economic and political cooperation between the new independent states," the Belarusian prime minister said. "The EAEU is the most active organization at the moment. In fact, it is a tool for our countries to boost economic integration, have an opportunity to implement consolidated programs and harmonize industrial and agricultural policies, remove barriers hindering the movement of goods, services and labor force," Golovchenko said.

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