OREANDA-NEWS. October 20, 2014. Belarus is ready to accommodate all Ukrainians who will want to live and work here, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said as he met with senior executives of the Ukrainian company Motor Sich.

With the problems in Ukraine, some want to work with Russia via Belarus. I do not hide my intentions. I even told the President of Russia that I will invite all Ukrainians willing to live and work here, to work with Russia via Belarus. There were no objections, Alexander Lukashenko said.

In his words, the leadership of Ukraine is aware of it as well. “I told them about it directly. If they tried to argue with me, I gave them tough response, the Belarusian leader stressed.

Alexander Lukashenko remarked that he decided to meet with the company’s executives to discuss the plans and prospects of Motor Sich’s work in Belarus.

According to the President, he is concerned about the operation of certain enterprises. Decisions need to be taken about some of them. One of such companies is Orsha Aviation Repair Plant, which board of directors includes representatives of Motor Sich.

I will say even more: if you want to be here to wait things out and live through some bad period, please do not. We have some experience of dealing with such shareholders. And it does not matter whether it is a joint-stock company or not, whether it has been bought out or not. We did sever ties with them, even with American companies. There was a lot of fuss, but everyone understood that we did the right thing, the Belarusian leader remarked.

But I see that this plant [Orsha Aviation Repair Plant. - BelTA’s note] does not operate at its full capacity or does not work in a way I would like it to work, Alexander Lukashenko added. He noted that it was the reason why he decided to meet with the executives of the company before taking a decision on the company’s future. “Of course, you may decide that I should be more market-oriented because this is a private company. You know, if you had established it from the ground up, I would not have interfered in the operation of the company, except for the rights of workers, including managerial personnel. Their rights are as follows: they need work, and good salaries. No one can infringe on their rights. The company must work in accordance with the law. That is all! I do not interfere further these things if it is a private company founded from zero. But we supervise the company’s work if it has been made private,” the head of state said. He emphasized that Orsha Aviation Repair Plant was founded by people.

“This is how we handle things. Maybe, it is wrong, but I think that people working in Ukraine understand very well what is right and what is wrong. I am afraid of the inflow of oligarchs to Belarus. I am afraid that these oligarchs will come here and will start to rule the country, just like it happens in other states. Therefore, I am very cautious about this issue,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

“Apart from that, you know how people respond to such things. We cannot offend and hurt people,” the President noted. “Yes, the company is in dire straits. We were looking for reliable managers, honest people.” Alexander Lukashenko added that in case the agreement is reached, Motor Sich will get all kind of assistance. “But you must always tell me the truth about what you can and cannot do,” the Belarusian leader stressed.

Alexander Lukashenko added that there is a personal aspect, too. “After the collapse of the Soviet Union there were proposals to close down and dismantle the factory. Maybe for some personal reasons I said no,” the President remarked. “I will preserve the plant and I want the company and the airfield to develop.” The head of state added that the enterprise is very important for him.

“You should know my ideology and my approach to these issues. If you have any questions, please ask me. But if we agree to build relations on the basis of these ideological postulates, our cooperation will be successful, and you will never have problems in Belarus. I guarantee you this,” Alexander Lukashenko stressed.