MINSK, 13 May (BelTA) - Only the Belarusian people have the right to decide what their future will be, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he received credentials from foreign ambassadors in Minsk on 13 May, BelTA has learned.
Welcoming the diplomats, the head of state said that the reception was organized immediately after Victory Day, the country's most sacred date, and ahead of the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. “That was the bloodiest massacre in the history of mankind, which brought immeasurable sufferings to all the peoples of the Soviet Union,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The president emphasized that every third resident of Belarus, mostly civilians, died in the war. “In fact, it was a deliberate, cruel and inhumane extermination of the people, a true genocide. We remember it and every May we honor the heroes and mourn the millions of innocent victims,” he said.
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the situation in the world is far from being calm today. The struggle for geopolitical influence and redistribution of spheres of interest in the economy has been aggravated by the coronavirus pandemic, which has further exacerbated the contradictions.
“We cannot ignore it, and neither can you. I will never be tired of repeating that only the Belarusian people have the right to decide what their future should be,” stressed the president.
The president recalled that the Belarusian People's Congress was held in Minsk in February. It was attended by more than 2,500 delegates - representatives of all segments of society, people of different professions and political views. “The decisions of this representative forum have unambiguously confirmed the support of the policy to develop a welfare state with a high-tech economy. The congress also demonstrated that the society, at least part of our society, wants certain changes, including those in social and political life,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The head of state said that Belarusians supported the process of the constitutional reform, which, according to him, is open and is widely discussed. “Although not everybody abroad likes this. Even in such difficult conditions Belarus remains committed to constructive engagement in the international arena. We are always ready for dialogue, but a respectful, honest and equal one,” the president said.
“I hope that you will offer interesting ideas for the further expansion of cooperation, and share with us the positive experience of your countries,” the Belarusian leader added.
