{"id":187944,"date":"2026-05-18T13:46:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T10:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/187944\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T14:05:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T11:05:15","slug":"lukasenka-eyes-defense-industry-cooperation-with-russias-sverdlovsk-province","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/187944\/","title":{"rendered":"Luka\u0161enka eyes defense industry cooperation with Russia’s Sverdlovsk province"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (\u0141uka\u0161enka's press office)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

May 18, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Belarus and Russia\u2019s Sverdlovsk province have opportunities to expand cooperation in defense industry, machinery, oil refining and agriculture, Alakasandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has told the province\u2019s Governor Denis Pasler at their meeting in Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndustrial cooperation is the foundation of our future development and of relations between Belarus and Russia,\u201d Pul Pervogo<\/em>, the Belarusian ruler’s press office’s unofficial Telegram channel quoted him as saying. \u201cWe are ready to expand this partnership . . .  When Western companies, American and others, left our market and the Russian market, new opportunities opened up for us, and we are ready to move in this direction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese so-called sanctions have shown that we need to rely on our own capabilities, pursue import substitution and explore other avenues to develop our own industries,\u201d he added, pointing to the expansion of Russia\u2019s defense sector. \u201cThis, in turn, is pulling us along with it, as we have moved from repairing equipment to producing armored vehicles and aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trade between Belarus and Sverdlovsk province rose to some $930 million in 2025 after $500 million in 2021, according to \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s press office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the first quarter of 2026, trade reached nearly $224 million, posting a 3-percent increase year on year. Belarusian exports reportedly accounted for more than $157 million and consisted of LCDs and components, lasers, metal products and cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2022, Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine in which the Belarusian authorities supported the Kremlin, allowing Russian troops to attack Ukraine from Belarus on multiple occasions and supplying arms to Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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