Lukashenko: Minsk needs to create normal conditions for residents and not overpopulate the city
January 30, 2026
Minsk needs to create normal living conditions for its residents and avoid overpopulation. This was stated by the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, during his meeting with employees of OJSC "Planar," as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
"We will not build production facilities in the center of Minsk. We will use these areas if we need them. Everything else will be moved beyond the ring road. People should live in Minsk, walk the streets with their children. And production facilities – beyond the ring road. That's why we are building the metro in segments. We will continue to develop it so that people can get to work and back in 10-15 minutes. So that it is convenient. We are already doing this and we will achieve it," said the President. "Therefore, if Minsk is capable of producing what you do at 'Planar,' 'Integral,' motorcycles, bicycles… We will do it. But 2 million people (in the city. - BELTA note). We cannot build polluting industries even beyond the ring road. We should not do that. We need to create normal conditions for Minsk residents, but not overpopulate Minsk."
Alexander Lukashenko explained that housing construction is now being oriented towards a stronger link with specific production facilities: "If there is a production facility – we build. We have learned to build quickly. Here is the production, here is the house – 100 apartments – rental housing. Hire people, let them work. Worked for 20-30 years, want to buy this housing – buy it out, for pennies. We will move in this direction. Some may not like it. What's not to like? If you want to build your own house or apartment – build it, we are not forbidding it."