Belarus needs a transition period to stabilize the economy - S.Sidorsky

August 25, Minsk /Lyudmila Sats - BELTA/. Belarus needs a transition period to stabilize its economy. This was stated today by Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky at a meeting with Marek Belka, Director of the European Department of the IMF, according to a BELTA correspondent. According to Sergei Sidorsky, there are currently significant problems in the Belarusian economy. "These are not only internal economic problems, but also problems in traditional foreign markets, primarily in the Russian Federation. We are facing a situation where half of our exports, which traditionally went to Russia, are now being redirected to third countries. This is why we need a transition period," the Prime Minister explained. "We are counting on the opening up of the Russian economy. There are already good signals today, considering the rise in oil prices," he added. In Sergei Sidorsky's opinion, the steps taken by the Russian government to support economic sectors that are cooperatively linked with the Belarusian economy (automotive industry, machine building, and others) will provide an opportunity for the Belarusian economy to develop in the near future. "In addition, the diversification that we have been carrying out recently will allow Belarusian products to have a broader presence in the markets of various countries. This will bring advantages, including price and competitive ones," the Prime Minister noted. -0-