PSB chairman calls Belarus an absolute priority at meeting with Lukashenko
In short
PSB chairman Pyotr Fradkov told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that Belarus is an “absolute priority” for the Russian bank and that cooperation is developing in interbank lending, industry and, prospectively, leasing. Fradkov named MAZ, BELAZ and Belarusian Railways as business partners and said the bank is completing procedures to work with the state leasing company. Lukashenko said he wanted the closest cooperation with the bank.
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PSB chairman Pyotr Fradkov said Belarus is an “absolute priority” for the bank and that it intends to develop cooperation, speaking at a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Interfax reported his remarks, citing the Belarusian state news agency BelTA, and TASS reported that Fradkov discussed prospects for joint work at the meeting. [ 1 , 2 ]
Fradkov said it was important to him personally and to PSB that cooperation “continues and develops, and in completely different directions.” Among those he listed interbank interaction and work with industrial enterprises, with leasing services as a prospective area. He described PSB as having been and continuing to be “one of the key partners of the banking system of Belarus as a whole, one of the large creditors of banks.” [ 1 ]
Among the bank's business partners in Belarus, Fradkov named MAZ, BELAZ and Belarusian Railways, saying work with Belarusian industrial companies continues. On the Belarusian financial market, he said the bank is “now going through all the necessary procedures” to work with the state leasing company; he gave no further detail. [ 1 ]
Lukashenko, quoted by the Telegram channel Pul Pervogo, which Interfax describes as close to his press service, said: “We are very positively disposed toward your bank in Belarus and would like the closest cooperation with your bank.” Interfax also noted that PSB ranked fifth by assets and equity in the Interfax-100 ranking after the second quarter of 2026. [ 1 ]
The documents do not say where the meeting took place, and neither outlet reports any agreements signed or sums discussed. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
PSB is a top-five Russian bank by assets and equity, and the meeting points to continued banking and industrial links between Russia and Belarus. The documents give no indication of new agreements being signed, so the practical effect is not yet clear.
Key facts
- PSB chairman Pyotr Fradkov said Belarus is an “absolute priority” for the bank, speaking at a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko [ 1 , 2 ]
- Fradkov said cooperation is continuing and developing in areas including interbank interaction, work with industrial enterprises and, prospectively, leasing services [ 1 ]
- Fradkov listed MAZ, BELAZ and Belarusian Railways among the bank's business partners in Belarus [ 1 ]
- Fradkov said the bank is “now going through all the necessary procedures” to work with the Belarusian state leasing company [ 1 ]
- Lukashenko said he is “very positively disposed” toward the bank's operation in Belarus and wants the closest cooperation [ 1 ]
- PSB ranked fifth by assets and equity in the Interfax-100 ranking after the second quarter of 2026, Interfax reported [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Where the meeting between Fradkov and Lukashenko took place Neither document states the location; Interfax filed the report with a Moscow dateline but does not say the meeting was held there
- Whether any agreements, contracts or sums were discussed or signed The documents describe intentions and areas of cooperation only, with no figures or signed documents reported
- Which bank in Belarus Lukashenko was referring to when he spoke of “your bank in Belarus” The quoted remark does not name the institution and no document identifies it
- Fradkov's assessment of cooperation is a single-source account The detail on sectors, partners and leasing procedures comes only from Interfax, citing BelTA and a Telegram channel