Republic

MINSK, 18 July (BelTA) – Foreign investors are invited to develop new mineral deposits in Belarus, including potash ones, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as he met with top executives of the group of companies Boulle Mining on 18 July. Alexander Lukashenko said that taking into account the growing demand for mineral resources, including potash ones, Belarus receives a sufficient number of proposals for extracting the already known deposits and new ones. At present the Belarusian side is choosing the most advantageous proposals. The President said that the possibility to hold this meeting had been discussed since mid-2010. “You are wealthy people, who are ready to work in Belarus,” Alexander Lukashenko told the top executives of Boulle Mining Group. “We’ve been promised nothing short of a collapse of the economy but if investors come to our country, it is a long wait till the promised collapse.” The head of state pointed out that the matter of surveying natural resources was very important for Belarus. “It seems to me that we don’t know everything about what we have,” he said. According to the President, geological exploration and commercial extraction of natural resources are of particular importance. Belarus has experience and relevant agencies for geological exploration and commercial extraction of natural resources, added Alexander Lukashenko. Addressing Jean-Raymond Boulle the head of the group of companies, Alexander Lukashenko said that Belarus knew very well about the company, had heard of its operations, experience in geological surveying and modern methods used to extract mineral resources. “We would be very interested in cooperation in this area,” stressed the President. “We are interested in the latest technologies and large-scale capital investments”. According to the Belarusian head of state, the use of natural resources involves not only pure economics. It is also of huge social and political importance. It is particularly true for the country’s reserves of potassium salts. Belarus boasts the world’s third largest reserves of potassium salts. Alexander Lukashenko reminded that extraction is in progress at only one of the three largest deposits of potassium salts in Belarus. The other two are not sufficiently developed yet. Alexander Lukashenko confirmed the interest in getting these deposits extracted. “You are a group of companies that is interested in geologic surveying in our country, surveying not only for potassium salts but other areas. You are also interested in the extraction of these deposits,” the President told the guest. The President underlined that Belarus would do business with any company that was able to come and get down to work instead of making promises. “You can make promises but I would like to tell you right away that if new companies, which are ready to work today, appear, we will work with them,” remarked the head of state. “We would like our agreements to be concrete and compressed in time in a businesslike manner,” he added. The President also said he would like those present, including Belarusian government officials, to tell him how far proceedings with this investor have advanced. In turn, Jean-Raymond Boulle remarked that Belarus boasts considerable extractable resources. He informed about the extensive experience of his company in the area of geological surveying and extraction of resources in many countries. The investor said: “Belarus has accomplished a lot. I hope that people in America and Europe will be more fair towards your country and will be able to understand the good things you have done for your country better”.

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