Expert: Belarus' history policy is based on information neutrality

MINSK, 15 April BelTA) - Belarus' history policy is based on information neutrality. Both these concepts were reflected in the Information Security Concept adopted in Belarus last year, Igor Valakhanovich, an analyst with the Belarusian Institute of Strategic Research (BISR), said at another meeting of the Expert Community project “History policy: Memory about the war” in the BelTA press center on 15 April.

The analyst explained that information neutrality does not mean passivity, an intention to sit it out. “It is an impossibility to use our information space as a platform for carrying out aggressive actions,” he said. Igor Valakhanovich stressed that the history policy of the neighboring countries “is sometimes intrusive, when through their historical narrative they try to impose certain ideas and translate them into the information field.”

The BISR analyst opposed his point of view to that of member of the House of Representatives' Standing Committee on Education, Culture and Science Sergei Klishevich who stated that the history policy of Belarus is a defensive one. “The history policy of the neighboring states is offensive in nature. They try to influence us and other neighboring countries. We mostly justify ourselves for some facts, which they are trying to impose on us today. We do not produce any fake news in the information space of the neighboring countries. We do not set such a task,” the MP said.

He expressed concern that the Belarusian youth is influenced through social networks and telegram channels. “Perhaps, it is high time we started thinking about defending ourselves more firmly. We should not allow any alien ideas that influence the youth and, thus, our future,” the MP said.