A. Lukashenka sets the task of developing villages while preserving their identity

May 11, Orsha District /Tatyana Polezhay - BELTA/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko sets the task of developing villages while preserving their identity. This was discussed today during the head of state's visit to the settlement of Khimy in the Orsha District, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. Alexander Lukashenko believes that it is necessary to create a production base in villages for people's employment, but at the same time, villages should not be turned into cities. "We need to revive the village so that people are comfortable," he said. The settlement of Khimy is located on the border of the Vitebsk and Mogilev regions. There are 43 residential houses in total, including 35 summer cottages. The population is 10 people, all of whom are pensioners. The President was presented with a plan for the revival of this settlement as an agro-industrial complex with agricultural production. Thus, by 2025, it is planned to create a production and social sphere, and engineering infrastructure for the settlement. It is planned to build a workshop for bottling mineral and drinking water, and a confectionery factory in the settlement. Fresh drinking water accounts for only 3% of the planet's water resources. At the same time, the share of easily accessible fresh water is no more than 2%. Currently, approximately 54% of all available surface water runoff has already been used. Belarus has great prospects in the development of clean drinking water production. Such explored reserves of drinking and mineral water are also available in the vicinity of the settlement of Khimy. It is planned that the capacity of the workshop for its extraction and bottling will be 0.44 million dekaliters per year. The cost of the investment project is estimated at almost Br50 billion. A factory for the production of confectionery, mainly for the production of Swiss rolls, is also planned to be built here. The annual production volume is expected to be 2.7 thousand tons. This will fully satisfy the demand of Belarusian consumers for this product, replacing imported analogues. The cost of the investment project will be Br40.5 billion. It is expected that the project will fully pay off within 5 years. As noted by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Kosinets, the plant will be built by the new year. In addition, residential buildings, a shop, a paramedic and obstetric station, a service center, a cafe, and a kindergarten will be built here. Alexander Lukashenko approved the projects presented to him, but at the same time emphasized that under no circumstances should this village be turned into a city. "Let's agree that we will not build a city here. Why do we need it here? This village needs to be revived, like Alexandria," the President said. "We need to revive the village here, period. Bring in production, young people. However, there should be no excesses." At the same time, the head of state believes that there is no need to rush. Facilities should be built as needed. "Under no circumstances should anything be done artificially," he said. At the same time, the President emphasized his unwavering requirement that none of the facilities should be built on arable land. "I categorically forbid encroaching on plowed land: no farms, no factories – nothing," he noted. It is also planned to build 10 agro-ecotourism estates in the village. According to the President, if there are willing individuals to engage in the development of this tourism sector, it will only benefit everyone. However, this should be at the initiative of private entrepreneurs, without affecting budget funds. Near the settlement of Khimy, it is also planned to build a broiler poultry farm for the production of duck meat. Negotiations are already underway with foreign investors willing to participate in this project. The payback period for the farm will also be 5 years. This type of product is in demand both in Belarus, where the production of duck meat is currently small, and in Russia. "We must do this everywhere. People have lived here for centuries, let them live. We need to create a production base. As for the rest: when the time comes, we will develop," said the head of state.-0-