MINSK, 7 June (BelTA) – During the ceremony held on 7 June to solemnly open the National Football Stadium in Minsk Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko explained how the decision to build the sport facility in the Belarusian capital city had been made and why it had been built near Partizansky Avenue, BelTA has learned.
“I’ve been thinking for a long time about what to say in this situation. I’d like to speak from the heart but the format is wrong: we have a lot of officialdom today. Nevertheless, let’s speak like human beings from the bottom of the heart,” the president said.
The head of state noted that he had driven along Partizansky Avenue many times. Today it is a beautiful and cozy part of Minsk but it was not always like that.
“As I was driving along this avenue, I always looked at this huge piece of Minsk, of this park [named after the 50th anniversary of the Great October Revolution]. Later on when I was a member of the parliament, when I became the president, I visited this park in the vicinity of our Traktor Stadium many times. Back then I had this crazy idea that I should build something respectable for this district populated by reliable and solid, hardworking people. And for our city of Minsk. Beautify and lick it into shape,” Aleksandr Lukashenko admitted.
With the passage of time the head of state decided that a national football stadium should be built here. According to the president, he listened to Belarusians, who believed that allegedly too much attention had been paid to ice hockey and too little to football in the country.
“I thought I should build a national stadium for my own ‘profession’. And my profession is not hockey but football. You know that. At some point our national team will finally demonstrate excellent performance and will play like they are supposed to! A decision in favor of building the national stadium here was made. Once in Beijing during negotiations with my old but very reliable friend, China President Xi Jinping I started this conversation. The Chinese are very calm and balanced people. After I shared my thoughts he said in the Chinese way that they would think about it,” the Belarusian leader said.
During a regular visit of the Belarusian head of state to China Xi Jinping unexpectedly demonstrated two models to Aleksandr Lukashenko: an international-level swimming pool and a football stadium. The Chinese president said back then that the construction of these facilities would be a gift to the Belarusian nation.
“I didn’t believe it right away because I know China and the Chinese well. But then I thought that the Chinese don’t say anything without a good reason. Even more so if the top public official says it. This is how it all started,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.
The stadium was built comparatively fast. A new swimming pool compliant with international standards has also been built in the Belarusian capital. “A gift from the Chinese people in its entirety. It cost no Belarusian money,” the president remarked.
“We are officially opening the greatest ‘monument.’ At the entrance [where a sculptural composition depicting Belarusian and Chinese football players stands] I said it would be fitting to erect a monument to my friend Xi Jinping here. Because only thanks to him the Chinese have built this stadium at their own expense. As the minister said, there are not many of those in Europe,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
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