MINSK, 9 August (BelTA) – A Big Conversation with the President took place in the Palace of Independence on 9 August. The meeting of Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko with representatives of the general public, experts, and mass media lasted for about eight hours and 15 minutes, BelTA has learned.
About 300 people turned up for the Big Conversation with the President. About 1,000 applications for participation in the meeting with the head of state had been submitted. The number of foreign applications accounted for one third of the number. The Big Conversation with the President was broadcast by about 20 media resources in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, including in English.
At the beginning of the meeting Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that a lot of topics for an open discussion had accumulated. “This is why today we need this conversation: live, open, face to face, and uncut,” he stated.
The questions traditionally focused on the domestic political situation in Belarus. Apart from politics the development of education, the improvement of the healthcare system, and economic processes were mentioned. Since the Big Conversation with the President was held exactly one year after the latest presidential election, a lot of the questions focused on last year's events. Relations with the West, counteraction of sanctions, and the situation at the borders with the European Union were discussed.
Foreign guests asked Aleksandr Lukashenko about Belarus' interaction with their countries, in particular, with Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland. As one representatives of Western media decided to focus on alleged beatings and torture in Belarus. The president answered those questions as promised.
In addition to asking questions participants of the Big Conversation with the President put forward initiatives, spoke out their points of view, and argued with each other and with the head of state.
