Miory Regional Executive Committee
Political capital in Africa needs to be monetized into mutually beneficial projects. This was stated by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on October 30 at a meeting on the development of cooperation with African countries, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
The head of state noted that all African countries currently account for only 2% of Belarus's total exports (for comparison, in the first 8 months of last year, this figure was 1.9%). This is despite the fact that the geography of Belarusian presence in the region has expanded. Until 2019, cooperation was mainly with North African countries: Egypt, Libya, and Sudan. Now, significant political capital has been built with Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Uganda, Botswana, Ghana, and Mozambique are showing interest in intensifying joint work.
"You know how to monetize political capital into mutually beneficial projects," Alexander Lukashenko stated, addressing the participants of the event. According to him, a corresponding algorithm has been worked out within the framework of the agricultural mechanization program in Zimbabwe. Currently, cooperation with Nigeria is proceeding successfully under the same scheme. A total of over 5,000 units of Belarusian agricultural and special machinery have already been supplied there, personnel training is being conducted, and service centers are being set up. There are plans to create assembly plants. "We all understand how to do it, but we are doing it very slowly," the President pointed out.
"A question to those present: which country will be next and when will we start?" he continued.
The head of state noted, in particular, Algeria's readiness to elevate relations to a qualitatively new level by backing them with serious projects. "On the eve of the visit, we will see what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government will offer," said Alexander Lukashenko. "I expect to discuss concrete steps and specific economic tasks with President Tebboune in the very near future."
By the way, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxim Ryzhenkov, recently visited this African country. "Have we been late in supplying our products to Algeria or not?" the Belarusian leader asked.