Mikhail Marynich: «Chinese money will be spent on dirty industries»

• 5.11.2007, 17:27

Chine will give Belarus a loan of USD 500 mln. The corresponding agreement has been signed today in Minsk during a visit of the head of Chinese government Wen Jiabao. This money will be spent on construction the new lines of cement production.

Former minister of foreign economic affairs of Belarus Mikhail Marynich thinks, one needs to treat cautiously the expansion of cement production:

“It is dirty industry. Such plants are always dangerous for the ecology. In my view, it is short-sighted to construct cement plants in the republic more than it needs. Such policy can be regarded as unjustified.

Now we have faced construction boom, so, cement is needed. But one can’t give a long-term forecast there that the same amount of cement will be need in future.

Moreover, the countries who are caring of their future now, try to get rid of hazardous industries. They are removed from their territories. Removed to the places where there are labour surplus, where the ecology problems are not acute”, Marynich declared to Radio Svaboda.

The Chinese side has promised some more credits today. But they are much smaller. At least, the intergovernmental agreement covers a loan of USD 27 mln.

Belarus is a third country the Chinese PM has attended during his visit. Wen Jiabao has already been in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. There he was received by the chief executives of the countries.