Lukashenko meets PSB chairman Fradkov in Minsk on expanded cooperation
In short
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met Pyotr Fradkov, chairman of the Russian bank PSB, in Minsk to discuss expanding the bank's cooperation with Belarus. Lukashenko said Minsk is “very positively” disposed toward the bank in Belarus and wants the “closest cooperation” with it. Fradkov said developing partnerships with Belarus is one of PSB's priorities and named MAZ, BelAZ and the Belarusian Railway among its Belarusian partners.
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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met Pyotr Fradkov, chairman of the Russian bank PSB, in Minsk to discuss expanding the bank's cooperation with Belarus, Vedomosti reported, citing the Belarusian state agency BelTA. Lukashenko said Minsk is interested in developing interaction with the bank. “We are very positively disposed toward your bank in Belarus and would like the closest cooperation with your bank,” he said, according to Vedomosti. [ 2 , 3 ]
Fradkov said that developing partnership ties with Belarus is one of PSB's priorities. According to him, the interaction is developing in several directions at once, including interbank cooperation, work with industrial enterprises and leasing services. “We have always been, are and continue to be one of the key partners of the Belarusian banking system as a whole, one of the large creditors of banks,” Vedomosti quoted the PSB chairman as saying. [ 3 ]
Fradkov named MAZ, BelAZ and the Belarusian Railway among the bank's Belarusian partners. He also said PSB is going through the necessary procedures to begin working with the state leasing company. The documents do not name that company, give a timeframe, or report any agreements, contracts or figures from the meeting. [ 3 ]
Vedomosti also noted background to PSB's cross-border activity: on 11 September Fradkov, at the BRICS summit, presented a Russian-Indian payment system project to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The talks point to continued expansion of Russian banking ties with Belarusian industry: PSB is described as one of the main creditors of Belarusian banks, and the meeting covered interbank work, industrial clients and leasing. The meeting follows PSB's push on cross-border payment projects, which Fradkov presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS summit on 11 September, according to Vedomosti. The documents give no specifics on agreements or figures, so the practical outcome of the talks is not yet clear.
Key facts
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met PSB chairman Pyotr Fradkov in Minsk. [ 3 ]
- Lukashenko said Belarus wants the “closest cooperation” with PSB and is “very positively” disposed toward the bank in Belarus. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Fradkov said developing partnership ties with Belarus is one of PSB's priorities. [ 3 ]
- According to Fradkov, cooperation is developing in several areas, including interbank cooperation, work with industrial enterprises and leasing services. [ 3 ]
- Fradkov named MAZ, BelAZ and the Belarusian Railway among the bank's Belarusian partners, and said PSB is one of the key partners of the Belarusian banking system and one of the largest creditors of banks there. [ 3 ]
- Fradkov said PSB is going through the necessary procedures to start working with the state leasing company. [ 3 ]
- On 11 September, Fradkov presented a Russian-Indian payment system project to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS summit, Vedomosti reported. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether any agreements or contracts were signed or figures agreed at the meeting. The documents describe the discussion and PSB's stated priorities but report no signed documents, amounts or commitments.
- The exact timing of the meeting. Only the outlets' publication times are given; the documents do not state when the meeting took place.
- Details of the procedures PSB is completing to work with the state leasing company. Single-source detail from Vedomosti, with no naming of the company or a timeframe.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reports Lukashenko's statement that Belarus counts on the closest cooperation with PSB. [ 1 ]
- RBC reports Lukashenko's remark about the “closest cooperation” with PSB, made at a meeting with bank head Pyotr Fradkov. [ 2 ]
- Vedomosti, citing BelTA, reports the meeting in Minsk and Fradkov's account of cooperation areas and Belarusian partners. [ 3 ]