MINSK, 28 January (BelTA) – One of the reasons for pressure on Belarus is its own way to fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he was delivering the annual Address to Belarusian People and the National Assembly on 28 January, BelTA has learned.
“Total lockdowns and border closures show how huge is the gap between the Western elites and the people. We have learned to live through the pandemic without taking emergency steps. From the onset, we managed to adapt to new conditions and find innovative solutions to respond to this problem in the shortest possible time without hysteria and fuss,” the Belarusian leader said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko warned against getting too overwhelmed or obsessed with the infection: “Today the West and Russia are no longer shy to repeat word for word what I said two years ago. What is needed to overcome COVID-19? First, no panic, and second, a vaccine. We were picked apart for this, but today the whole world follows the Belarusian COVID-19 response strategy. And they cannot forgive us for having to follow in our footsteps and thus admitting that we were right. But what cynicism: while using Belarus' best practices in the fight against the virus, they continue to put pressure on us for our way of handling the pandemic. This is one of the reasons for the pressure on us.”
The president is confident that our response to the coronavirus pandemic clearly shows that we can not only overcome difficulties with dignity, but also spearhead efforts to address global problems. “This is a proof of the sovereign policy of Belarus. We have always made decisions on our own, we have always chosen our own paths of development. And we will keep doing it based on our beliefs and values,” he said.
