MINSK, 3 September (BelTA) – Valery Vakulchik, who until now worked as Chairman of the State Security Committee, was appointed State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus. The corresponding decision was made by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko on 3 September, BelTA has learned.
While appointing Valery Vakulchik to a new position, Aleksandr Lukashenko asked how many years Valery Vakulchik had been working as the KGB chief. “In two months it will be eight years,” Valery Vakulchik said.
“I asked about it for a reason. No one before you could last even half of this period in this demanding position. He is a reliable person, loyal to the state and people, efficient and decent. I have never seen him going astray or doing something to please someone. All the people in attendance are from humble backgrounds, therefore we agreed at the very beginning that we should treat people fairly and like equals. We should do everything for people and always remember where we came from. I should say that he [Valery Vakulchik] pursued this policy in the KGB,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The head of state emphasized that as the power bloc is going through transformations, it is necessary to maintain continuity and good teamwork of special services. “I think that working as a state secretary, together with the chief of the Belarus President Administration [Igor Sergeyenko used to be a senior official in the KGB], knowing what this work is about, you will be able to unite behind yourself not only special services, but also law enforcement agencies and to fulfill the tasks facing us now, as well as new challenges and threats,” the president said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the staff of the Security Council is not big.
Addressing Head of the Belarus President Administration Igor Sergeyenko, Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “It is important and I want to say it publicly: Andrei Ravkov [former State Secretary of the Security Council] is our man. I just got an impression that he did not feel quite comfortable in that position. He needs a job that can keep him moving. Indeed, in the Defense Ministry [Ravkov used to be defense minister] there were more activities than in this agency,” the Belarusian leader noted.
“He is a reliable person. We have agreed with you that you will invite him and I will talk to him later. We will give him a job. We have enough vacancies for him to work in the interests of our country. He is still a young general. I think that he will still be useful for us both inside the country and outside, if he wants it. We have enough international military organizations where his expertise might come in handy,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
