MINSK, 11 February (BelTA) - Belarus knows how to deal with the situation and has a plan of action. At the same time, it is vital to find a solution to the current contradictions, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he addressed the 6th Belarusian People's Congress in Minsk on 11 February, BelTA has learned.
“We know the moderators of street protests, we know the external forces behind them, and how much money they throw in. We cannot ignore the certain vulnerability of a part of society and the system to the Maidan technologies, especially now that we are in the process of the generational change. This phenomenon is objectively complex: we see competition of worldviews, divergence of positions on many issues: from the economy to the upbringing of children. It is vital for us, based on the wisdom and experience of those who are older, to find a solution to the contradictions that have emerged. We should not allow the generational divide, as happened during the collapse of the Soviet Union," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
He noted that after the 25-year difficult but important journey, Belarus has come to the verge of new qualitative transformations. "2021 is the milestone: in terms of importance it is comparable to the milestones of the early 20th century and the mid-1990s. But unlike those troubled times, today we know how to deal with the situation and have a plan of action that gives us all chances for successful development," the head of state noted.
The Belarusian leader outlined a number of tasks, including improving the efficiency of public administration, ensuring a new level of communication between the government and society, creating conditions for unlocking human potential, realizing its capabilities, ensuring the quality of the economy through enterprise, innovation and modern governance. According to him, the current and long-term priorities of the state in foreign policy will also be determined.
"We need to have a clear understanding of what is going on in geopolitics. It is clear that globalization is being replaced by regional selfishness with elements of protectionism. It is important to determine how these processes affect our life, what place Belarus should take in the new reformatted world. Remember when I said prior to the election: the pandemic would go away, and where we would find ourselves after that? Wasn't I right? Today we confirm this thesis," the president stressed.
The head of state noted that the emphasis in world politics is shifting into an increasingly fierce competition gear. “We see this in the differences between the United States and China, the European Union and Russia, Russia and other major states. The strategic rivalry of the global powers has every chance to move into a different, more troubling phase. Other states are trying to balance or choose which camp to join. And sometimes they are forced to do it. Not always such a choice is in their favor," he said.
"The interstate dialogue has been replaced by trivial pushover of one's own interests. International law fails to regulate disputes and conflicts. Politicians have stopped hearing and listening to each other, and the recognized multilateral platforms designed to maintain peace and security are degrading and cannot function effectively. The pandemic has been the catalyst for many processes and changes," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
"Look at events abroad: lockdowns, riots, vaccine battles. Radical protests are raging in the so-called developed democracies - the United States, the countries of Western Europe (Poland, France, Germany and others). The world is on fire. Let's honestly assess all these events,” the Belarusian leader urged. "The problems are deeper than many think. For example, in Poland the problem is not about abortion or agriculture. It's a trigger. The Polish people had spoken out against the policies of their government. Or take Lithuania for example: how many people lived there before, and how many live now?"
