An archive photo
MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – The national social and economic development program must place a strong emphasis on the youth, a delegate of the 7th Belarusian People’s Congress, a member of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Marina Lenchevskaya said on the air of the Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA has learned.
Commenting on the significance of the five-year national development plan, which is to be adopted at the Belarusian People’s Congress for the first time, Marina Lenchevskaya noted that having a long-term perspective is a good thing.
“We also had five-year development plans during the Soviet times, and it yielded positive results. We set a goal, map out clear indicators, and then steadily progress towards it. In modern independent Belarus, we also follow five-year plans, but I would like to emphasize that the program we are approving today for five years adds more layers to the foundation of our state. Overall, this program is not just for five years, it is a long-term strategy,” the delegate said.
Marina Lenchevskaya emphasized that the goal of this program is comprehensive and it stems from the need to build a self-sufficient, competitive state with a human-centered approach. “We must do everything for the people. By the way, the priorities stated in the program today fully correlate to this concept. For example, demographic security is a very necessary thing for us. It is important to support the family, that there are more Belarusians, but it is also very important that our Belarusians understand that this problem is solved not only through state financial support, but that it is also a worldview issue. Belarusians must understand, especially the younger generation, that our numbers should grow. Only then will Belarus live and have a future. Another thing I really like in this program is the youth topic. The youth of today are the contemporary face of our society. They challenge stereotypes and drive new trends. Young people dream a lot, their dreams turn into projects, and they are ready to implement these projects. We must make the youth our priority. It is very important that the program sets a target: 15% of managerial positions must be held by young people. We should not shy away from giving them leadership opportunities. However, young people themselves should realize that reaching senior roles requires climbing the career ladder step by step, starting from the bottom. Therefore, I think that the youth has a great future, and it is wonderful that in the social and economic development program we are making a bet on the development of youth policy,” Marina Lenchevskaya said.
As for the expected topics of the president’s address, the delegate noted that they will include sovereignty, defense, and demography. “I remember the first address of our head of state and the powerful messages it conveyed. What resonated with me? It is that we must build a state that serves the working people. And the idea that we must care for and defend our sovereignty. It was also said that we do not need upheavals; we need consent and peace within our society. It seems to me that these narratives are still popular today, and they will one way or another be present in the president’s address today as well. Naturally, I think the discussion will also be about the country’s defense. The global landscape remains volatile, with serious and pronounced geopolitical threats. We have no choice but to defend ourselves against them. The people want to hear about this because peace is the most important thing for people today. There was a time when our grandparents said if only there is no war. There was a period when we smiled at these words and thought that war would never happen again, but look at what is going on. Our state, headed by Aleksandr Grigoryevich [Lukashenko], our armed forces are taking all necessary measures to guarantee our strength and defense capability. Undoubtedly, this topic will also be raised today,” Marina Lenchevskaya stated.
Screenshot of the Belarus 1 TV Channel video
