No plans to sell Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant to Russia

Selling Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (Volat trademark) to Russia is not on the agenda, Chairman of the Belarusian State Military Industrial Committee Roman Golovchenko told the media, BelTA has learned. “I would like to make things clear. There are no talks on the sale, takeover or exchange of any kind,” Roman Golovchenko said.
In his words, the issue was discussed several years ago. However the matter was “taken off the table due to objective circumstances”. “No one is pedaling it right now,” the head of the State Military Industrial Committee said. Roman Golovchenko added that there are no behind-the-scenes talks, no tenders. He denied any reports of the sale of the plant as mere speculations. According to him, the Belarusian-Russian industrial relations are developing in the favorable and constructive vein. Yet, fake news is produced on a regular basis. Such news items are of destructive nature and are aimed at destroying the image of Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant. These reports allege that Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant is an achievement of the Soviet Union, not that of Belarus, that the plant sells out technologies and secrets, and that the plant produces low-quality goods which Russia should stop buying. "Over the years of the country's independence, Belarus has invested around $150 million in the enterprise. Today this is a high-tech company. The plant does not sell any technologies. The plant sells finished products,” said Roman Golovchenko. Speaking about the quality of products, he said that Russia places orders with the Belarusian producer on a regular basis. Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant also participates in and wins tenders overseas, mainly, in the Middle East.