Russian media sometimes offer unfair coverage of situation in Belarus

The Russian media are sometimes unfair in covering the situation in Belarus, Alexander Zapesotsky, Rector of Saint Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences, said in an interview with the TV program Kartina Mira (Picture of the World) broadcast on RTR-Belarus on 12 March.

“I see how how difficult things are. The heads of state are under great pressure. There are provocations, machinations, attempts to put two countries at loggerheads,” Alexander Zapesotsky said. He noted with sadness that the Russian media sometimes offer unfair coverage of the situation in Belarus. “I am concerned about everything happening around Belarus. The model that still exists, despite the savage laws around, is of interest to me. I have been to Belarus, talked to the people. They cherish what they have preserved in their country and are aware of the current conditions of the country's development,” Alexander Zapesotsky noted.

“Many hate Belarus because they cannot come and tear the social and economic system apart. This is exactly why the Russian oligarchs, who control the media and organize attacks on you, hate Belarus,” the guest expert pointed out. He added that the future of the Belarusian model depends on a number of factors. He cited China as an example of a country that successfully combines the advantages of government management of the economy with gradual introduction of market mechanisms. “This is a challenging task. Even the West is studying what is going on there, and what practices they can adopt,” Alexander Zapesotsky said.