Lukashenko issues series of economic directives to government

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko held a meeting with government officials where he issued a wide range of instructions on the country's economy. He called the current time 'almost wartime' and said the economy has become a real battlefield.

He demanded the government address a decline in industrial output, ensure strict price controls, and work more actively on the domestic market. Lukashenko also called for systemic modernization of heating and power grids, urged efforts to boost quality and cut costs, and criticized what he called 'unjustified euphoria' at the National Bank regarding wage growth outpacing labor productivity.