18 May, Minsk /BELTA/. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko confirms plans to reduce state support for agriculture. Alexander Lukashenko stated this on 18 May, meeting in Minsk with a delegation from Saint Petersburg headed by Governor Georgy Poltavchenko, BELTA was informed by the press service of the Belarusian leader. The Head of State emphasized that the funds invested in agriculture and the constant attention to this sector "make it possible to have the highest quality products today." "At one time, fearing Chernobyl, we set a quality standard for food products higher than in the European Union," he said. Regarding the criticism voiced not so long ago against Belarus for the large volumes of support for the agrarian sector, Alexander Lukashenko noted that within the framework of the EAEU, the parties agreed to reach a unified level in this issue in the near future. This creates equal conditions for the supply of goods and the development of competition. "We are moving away from this (large-scale subsidies for agriculture). We are starting to address in agriculture those problems that the state should deal with: building roads, social and cultural facilities, and land reclamation," the President said. In turn, the governor noted that cooperation in the field of agriculture is one of the main topics of bilateral interaction. He stressed that Belarusian goods are in demand in Saint Petersburg and are distinguished by high quality: "Belarusian products are actually in demand, and Petersburgers buy them with pleasure." Currently, a program is being implemented to create a distribution network of 50 convenience stores in the northern capital of Russia, which will sell Belarusian goods.-0-

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