MINSK, April 6. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko suggested rightsizing the number of embassies and diplomatic mission staff during a meeting on the Foreign Ministry’s operations Tuesday.
"Our many years of experience indicate that there are no visible prospects for our diplomatic presence in a number of countries," he said, according to BelTA. "So why do we need to maintain our embassies there, or shell out budget funds on their operations? Why do we need a full diplomatic staff there, responsible for fields that are suspended, to put it mildly?" the head of state contemplated.
According to Lukashenko, in such cases, Belarus must work on "principles of reciprocity, as it was done with Poland and Lithuania."
Lukashenko noted that, if absolutely necessary, all pressing issues could be discussed at UN venues or at other international organizations in New York, Geneva or Vienna.
"We can talk to the entire world there, and there is no point in keeping political advisers in countries who either have frozen contacts with us out of prejudice or conduct destructive activity against us," he said.
"I will reiterate my main condition: open new agencies abroad only through a well-though-out redistribution of available resources. There mustn’t be a bloated workforce," the Belarusian president emphasized.
Belarusian economy first
Lukashenko pointed out that the coronavirus pandemic had unleased a global crisis, altered the global trade structure, but the last year’s outcome indicates that Belarus was largely able to preserve its positions on foreign markets, thanks to the efficient mechanism of external economic ties.
"Obviously, a friendly country is a country where a customer votes with their rubles, dollars or euro for Belarusian goods or services, and the government does not obstruct this, but, on the contrary, promotes it," President Lukashenko said.
He underscored that the past year was a stress test not only for the authorities, but for the diplomatic staff as well.
"We must realize that, first, we are a small state and we do not have unlimited abilities to fund a bloated workforce abroad. And, after all why should we? If you’re talking about prospects, we are not mired in globalism," Lukashenko insisted. "We have normal, down-to-earth issues, both in politics and the economy," he highlighted.
Besides, according to the president, Belarus must prioritize "protecting and promoting economic interests, and not on claiming leadership."
The meeting’s participants noted that right now, Belarus is represented by 70 missions in 58 countries that contribute to almost 97% of exports and 76% of foreign investments. According to the president, the diplomatic service is generally able to perform its duties, and "the only issue is its efficiency in terms of expenses and real results.".