«The agenda of our meeting was set long ago: the development of Polesie until 2030,» the head of state said. «Let me remind you that this program is one of the president’s key election promises to the Poleshuks [the people of Polesie]. The election took place long ago. That does not mean we have done nothing there. A great deal has already been accomplished.»

Nevertheless, Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that much work in the region still lies ahead.

The development program until 2030 covers nine districts with a population of 350,000.

«When it comes to this program, we must know and understand what measures need to be carried out within and beyond it, so that the Poleshuks, and indeed all of Belarus, can see that we are seriously engaged in developing Polesie. This is on the one hand. On the other hand, we must always remember whether we have the money to implement these measures,» the Belarusian leader noted.

In this regard, he asked that reports avoid «excessive Soviet-style approaches,» so that funds are not allocated without tangible results. «What is needed are concrete measures and enterprises that will create new jobs and ensure the development of Polesie for centuries, forever,» Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.

«Everything must be carefully calculated, verified, and most importantly, bring economic returns in the long run. Especially when it comes to budgetary funds. There is no extra money in the country,» the president stressed. «The program’s measures must be concrete, fit into a simple algorithm: we must see the goal, set specific tasks, and act for results. I warned you about this. As I am informed, overall you have optimized them [the tasks]. However, they are still not fully funded. And the financial gap is considerable.»

The head of state drew attention to the fact that about Br400 million is lacking, or 6% of the total funds allocated for the program (around Br6.5 billion). In this regard, the president asked for a clear answer to the main question: from which financial sources the planned measures will be implemented, and what those measures will be.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that oversight of the program’s implementation will be carried out by a true Polesuk Mikhail Rusy — aide to the President — inspector for Brest Oblast and Chairman of the Standing Commission on Legislation and State Building of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.