German Deputy Ambassador to Belarus Urges Developing Small, Medium-Sized Businesses
2.10.2012 / 17:1
Peter Dettmar, deputy head of mission at the German embassy in Minsk, said on Monday that the role of small and medium-sized businesses in the Belarusian economy was not big enough.
“I have stayed in your country for the last three years,” he said at a news conference. “And throughout all these three years I have dealt with the problem of small and medium-sized businesses almost daily. I have to say that I don't feel that Belarus is developing toward an economy based on small and medium-sized businesses. In Germany 95 per cent of all enterprises represent this segment of the economy.
That's why we, the organizers of the sixth edition of Day of German Economy, have decided to dedicate it to this subject, so that we and our partners in Belarus have yet another discussion on the matter.”
When asked whether Berlin was right to brand the Belarusian government a dictatorial regime and at the same time contribute to stronger business ties between the two countries, Mr. Dettmar said, “It does not seem to me that we are using double standards here. If you followed attentively the discussion that has been going on in the last 18 months, I think you have noticed that we are clearly separating sanctions on the political level, in the economic sphere and in cooperation, say, in the sphere of culture. That's why I believe it's wrong to use the term 'double standards' to describe our conduct.”