MINSK, 29 January (BelTA) – The collegium of the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs convened in Minsk on 29 January to take stock of the ministry's performance in 2020, BelTA learned from the Telegram channel of Olga Chemodanova, the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The meeting was attended by Deputy State Secretary of the Security Council Aleksandr Rakhmanov, heads of law enforcement agencies and other government bodies.
In his opening speech, Belarusian Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Kubrakov noted that in 2020 the ministry worked to stabilize the social and political situation in the country. The post-election protests and open confrontation with law enforcement agencies were a kind of test for all law enforcement officers. “Having enforced law and order, we defended the country and preserved its sovereignty,” he stressed.
Speaking about the general state of affairs, Ivan Kubrakov stressed that the situation had always been under control of the law enforcement agencies. The share of cybercrimes in the total number of crimes has increased significantly. The number of cybercrimes more than doubled in 2020, and now they account for almost a quarter of all crimes committed in Belarus.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs also devoted a lot of effort to ensuring road traffic safety. However, there are still many traffic accidents due to driving without a license and drunk driving. The ministry has already suggested harsher punishments for these offenses.
“Of course, it is important that the police work effectively and perform their functions well. However, people's attitude to the police in general and to every police officer is also important. Our public outreach activities should be based on proper respect for people's rights and considerate attitude to citizens and their problems. We should not praise ourselves – we should work well to deserve people's gratitude. The main criterion is people's attitude. We should have an open dialogue, partner relations with the society,” Ivan Kubrakov believes.
“The year 2021 has been declared the Year of People's Unity. Belarus is looking to the future with confidence, and we are ready to respond to any challenges and threats. If we stick to universal human values and abide by the law, we will keep our country strong and independent,” the minister added.
