REUTERS
Belarus has no intentions to break down the original social state scheme, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday at a meeting with Peter Dohlman, IMF Mission Chief for Belarus, according to Belarus news service BELTA.
Alexander Lukashenko stressed that "we are not going to break down the social state scheme we have put together" whether the IMF likes it or not. "The thing is that we cannot leave a single child, a single elderly person, a single person with disabilities without assistance of our society, the state," explained the President. "It is what the social state is all about. We cannot just push them aside," BELTA wrote.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that all the other IMF proposals can absolutely be implemented in Belarus. "We are ready to continue working in this direction," said the head of state. He said he would like no delays if agreement is reached.
In turn, Peter Dohlman thanked the Belarus President for the openness demonstrated during the meeting. According to the IMF mission head, it is a token of very open and productive interaction that is already developing between the IMF and Belarus. Peter Dolman noted that the IMF and the Belarusian side have common goals with regard to building an effective and growing economy in Belarus. The IMF also pays close attention to social security and to aiding those in need.