Łukašenka reiterates concern about Amkador’s problems

April 21, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka talked about ownership and other issues at Amkador, a major Belarusian manufacturer of construction and logging equipment, for the second time in the last four days.

The government must “resolve the issue of debts, not only ownership,” he said during his tour of the Viciebsk region, as reported by his press office. “The enterprise is in a difficult situation due to the actions of its owner.” 

Forest Management Minister Alaksandar Kulik noted that the logging industry could not get by without Amkador’s equipment.

Four days before, Łukašenka indicated that Amkador was in trouble. “We have big problems with Amkador, so we should bring this enterprise to its senses. Under no circumstances should we ruin it,” he said, noting that the company had great prospects in Belarus and Russia.

He made this remark after Belarusian independent outlets reported the sacking of Amkador’s long-time CEO Alaksandar Šakucin earlier this month. Šakucin, under the European Union’s sanctions since 2020, is known as a businessman with close links to Łukašenka.

Šakucin was the key owner and chairman of the board of directors. In 2022, the Amkador group comprised 26 companies, including 17 plants in Belarus and Russia.

Zavod SVT, Amkador’s subsidiary, is involved in the production of weapons such as the Svisloch attack unmanned aerial vehicle and the Vartavy, an artillery radar and fire control system, the BelPol resistance group said in a report a few months ago.

In one of the letters addressed to Łukašenka, Amkador’s owner Šakucin boasted of his company’s contribution to “maintaining the country’s defense capability,” according to BelPol.

Šakucin did a favor to Łukašenka “who would be able to play up these products to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” Uładzimir Žyhar of BelPol told Pozirk. 

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