Lukashenko talks about candidate for agriculture minister's office, ministry's functions

During a conference call held previously to discuss the harvesting campaign Aleksandr Lukashenko gave instructions to promptly find a candidate for the vacant position of the agriculture and food minister since the previous minister Igor Brylo had been appointed the president's aide, inspector for Vitebsk Oblast.

As a result of the dialogue between Aleksandr Lukashenko and Chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee Vladimir Karanik it became clear that First Deputy Chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee Yuri Valevaty had been one of the potential candidates.

“Well, what don't you like about the first deputy chairman for agriculture?” the president asked the Grodno Oblast governor.

Vladimir Karanik remarked that he is quite happy with his first deputy but everyone is a civil servant and Yuri Valevaty had been nominated for the agriculture minister's office among other candidates.

The President's Aide, Inspector for Grodno Oblast Yuri Karayev joined in the conversation. “In the Agriculture and Food Ministry the key is the commander of the front, not the chief of the General Staff. Because everything is decided at the local level. This is why, no offense, the first deputy governor has more leverage than the agriculture and food minister,” Yuri Karayev presented his point of view figuratively and militarily.

The president agreed: “The Agriculture and Food Ministry should mind its own business after all. It should take care of some new breakthrough avenues and technologies.”

The ministry should also take care of the overall strategy. “And the rest is here [at the local level],” the Belarusian leader stressed.