MINSK, 23 February (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko is expected to meet with prominent Belarusian reporters on 24 February. He mentioned the plans to arrange such a meeting when he delivered an address to the nation and the parliament on 28 January, BelTA has learned.
“[A talk] with the First One about the key matters. The concrete conversation the president announced as he delivered the address will take place tomorrow! Nine reporters, whose names are too famous to reveal, will address burning questions to the First One,” the Telegram channel Pul Pervogo said.
BelTA's Vladimir Matveyev, who has been working with the head of state as part of the president's press pool, will be one of the participants of the meeting.
Vladimir Matveyev noted: “Talking to the Belarusian head of state is always interesting. I have to admit that he has talked a lot in public recently. There were lengthy and highly publicized interviews with foreign mass media and well-known reporters. One can say that Aleksandr Grigoryevich [Lukashenko] loves mass media and is not afraid of them. Anyone could make sure of that many times. But we see that the situation sometimes changes several times per day. This is why up-to-date comments, a strong expert opinion, for which many people in Belarus and abroad appreciate our president, are always in demand.”
“I can add that the president does not like prearranged conversations during an interview and beyond that. Unexciting questions are not his cup of tea either. Spicier questions are needed. I think the conversation will proceed along these lines. Although spicy questions are not the key thing for me personally. You know I am not Matthew Chance [the CNN reporter who had a famously scandalous interview with the president] and don't intend to become one. I am sure that to give an opportunity to speak up about these or those matters is the key thing during such meetings, interviews, particularly with the head of state instead of trying to stab the interviewee with a thorny question. This is why I can say I am preparing interesting questions, up-to-date ones, and with a bit of spice,” the BelTA reporter said.
