![](https://eng.belta.by/images/storage/news/with_archive/2024/000019_1723724016_160539_big.jpg)
MINSK, 15 August (BelTA) – In an interview with the TV channel Rossiya Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made a few comments about the prohibition against the entry of cars with Belarusian license plates into Lithuania, BelTA has learned.
“Crazies. If I were you, I wouldn’t comment on many of the questions concerning Lithuania. Because they don’t know what they are doing. They are madmen. Genuine crazies. What can I say about them? If there were responsible politicians over there, we could talk about their policy. But there are no responsible politicians over there,” the head of state stated.
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, there is also a plus side to this decision of Lithuanian authorities from the economic point of view. “Thank god. Our citizens will stop moving money beyond the borders of Belarus and Russia. Although they do it less now. The same applies to Russians. Money will stay here. It is so-called economic tourism. Huge amounts of money were withdrawn from here,” he said.
“Let’s speak sincerely. There is nothing alive left in Lithuania. But people in the European Union are no fools after all. They moved their goods into Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Russians and Belarusians went there in droves and spent huge amounts of money, billions of U.S. dollars over there. Well, they won’t now. If we look at it from the point of view of pragmatism, from the economic point of view,” the president noted. “If we look at it from the political point of view, it is total madness. They do everything that people in Lithuania, that Lithuanian citizens do not like. Whatever we may say about Lithuanians, they have been very hardworking people since the Soviet times. They compare what they had in the Soviet Union and what they have now.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko reminded that Ukraine and Lithuania were viewed as crown jewels of the USSR: “I remember it well. Lithuania was a very well-developed country. I can mention that they made radio receivers, automobiles, and other goods in the Soviet period. They could have developed it to the level of, for instance, Mercedes Company. They have nothing at all now. There are ruins over there. This is why they cannot offer their own goods. If we talk about so-called Lithuanian [goods], those are made at a factory built by Germans or someone else.”
Thus, the president noted, a lot of retail outlets and shops with various European goods were opened near the Belarusian border, including in Lithuania. “And due to our craziness… You see, people really craved buying imports. If you don’t have a Gucci or Versace, then that’s it, you are nobody. I don’t know what suits you wear. But I wear Belarusian suits made in a local dress shop, which made them back in the day,” the Belarusian leader told the interviewer Evgeny Popov.
“A well-made suit,” the reporter noted.
“I just advise you not to pay attention to this craziness [Lithuania’s latest decisions]. The West and the European Union can be cited as examples of craziness, examples of what they can do to their satellites, which didn’t play and don’t play any role in history today. I don’t even pay attention to it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.