Lukashenko: mineral resources are key to sovereignty and stable economic development
Belarus' own mineral resources are the key to sovereignty and stable economic development – as stated by the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, during today’s meeting discussing the state and development of the country’s mineral resource base and the expansion of geological exploration, including hydrocarbons
The Head of State underlined that the country always needs its own mineral resources, “They are the key to sovereignty and economic stability, which is even more relevant now, when sanctions pressure against Belarus is increasing every year. It’s time to synchronise watches and find solutions to the most problematic and insufficiently developed issues.”
The Belarusian leader added that there are many of them, though there are also very successful industries. The President cited the example of the global brand Belaruskali, which has its own well-functioning system: from the exploration of new deposits to the production of fertilisers. Since separate meetings on the work of potash workers are held regularly, it was proposed to focus on other important areas at today’s meeting, primarily on hydrocarbons.
“I’m informed that the industrial reserves of Belarusian oil currently stand at about 45m tonnes. During 2016-2023, they grew by 14m tonnes, including 2.5m tonnes in 2023 alone – a record for the last four decades. The use of new technologies and the expansion of seismic exploration and drilling enabled us – starting from 2017 – to ensure an increase in oil production by an average of 20,000 tonnes per year. What’s next? 20,000 tonnes a year are too little,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The Head of State also inquired about the prospects for developing wells, the terms for geological exploration plans, and the availability of Belarus’ own specialists and equipment.
As far as other areas are concerned, according to the President, the situation is not as optimistic as for potassium and oil, “The Government claims that the Environmental Protection and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources state programme for 2016-2020 has been successfully implemented. At the same time, there is still no unified control over field development. Today, many departments have the right to use subsoil, and everyone looks after merely their own interests. For example, road workers need sand and they extract only sand from the quarry, builders are interested in crushed stone while specialists in energetics are keen on peat. If the next layer there is a mineral, basalt or peat, who assesses the situation and decides whether to mine it or not? Does anyone assess the situation? Where is the supervisory role of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection? I know that you were tasked with this more than a year ago. What has changed during this time?”
