The highlights of 2025: what will we remember most about it?

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Last year was full of significant news and events. It began with the Belarusian presidential election. The entire country celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory and decided how Belarus would develop over the next five years. Schools, kindergartens, and medical facilities opened, roads and bridges were built, squares and parks were improved... Hundreds of moments daily made our country better and more beautiful. According to the newspaper "7 Days," there were some truly special ones that we cannot help but remember. The
Belarusian presidential election
took place on January 26, 2025. A total of 5,136,293 votes were cast for Alexander Lukashenko, representing 86.82% of the total votes cast. "The Belarusian people have placed enormous trust in their national leader, Alexander Lukashenko," notes House of Representatives member Alexander Shpakovsky. "During his years of leadership, the country has achieved significant successes that are visible to everyone." Despite the fact that Belarus lacks significant natural resources and is not in the most friendly international environment, under the leadership of Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko, our state has truly emerged. It is gratifying that the majority of citizens recognize this. We do not seek any political upheaval. Stable development and a peaceful domestic political situation serve our national interests. For this reason, the institution of the Presidency in Belarus is viewed not only through the prism of governance functions. For Belarusian society, the reelection of the President represents a continuation of a stable, sovereign course in line with the national interests of the Republic of Belarus.
The Year of Improvement
Presidential Decree No. 1, signed by the head of state on January 3, set the date for 2025. The Ministry of Housing and Public Utilities directly oversaw 14 of the 80 key measures aimed at improving communities. Nearly all objectives were achieved: over 170 iron removal stations were built in the water supply sector, and approximately 700 related measures were implemented, including street and road network repairs and parking lot improvements. Another 477 new sports, playgrounds, and children's playgrounds were built in communities across the country, primarily in residential areas. The Minsk Region boasted the largest number, an additional 210. Belarusians themselves also took part, joining in the initiatives to restore order to the land across the country. People created new public gardens, planted hundreds of thousands of trees and shrubs, and built playgrounds and recreation areas as part of civic initiatives. One of dozens of completed projects was the improvement of the "Let's Sit Down on the Road" recreation area in the village of Ivenets in the Volozhin District. The budget amounted to almost 48,000 rubles, a tenth of which was contributed by residents. "The recreation area opened in the fall," notes Elena Klachko, Chair of the Volozhin District Council of Deputies. "We truly succeeded in creating a very beautiful place that attracts not only local residents but also visitors to the village."
80th Anniversary of the Great Victory 
In 2025, Belarus celebrated the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War in a grand manner. On May 9, celebratory events took place across the country. In the Belarusian capital, tens of thousands of people laid flowers at the monument in Victory Square, and a large-scale military parade took place at the "Minsk – Hero City" stele, attended by units from Belarus, Russia, China, and most CIS countries. "This is a huge celebration for me ," says Great Patriotic War veteran Fyodor Feshchenko. "I'm one of the few who lived to see the 80th anniversary of Victory Day. There are almost no people my age left. Sometimes I mentally talk to my former comrades from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, telling them how fortunate it is to live without war. It's fortunate that our country hasn't known it for over eighty years. Under the seal of quality."
2025 marked the first year of the five-year quality plan, which encompasses all areas of national and societal life. Its priority goals include further improving living standards and the competitiveness of the Belarusian economy. In January 2025, domestically produced goods were awarded the State Quality Mark for the first time, confirming the highest standards. A total of 660 products from 220 manufacturers competed for the first mark. The top 17, which passed a rigorous selection process, won. Among them were the BELAZ-7513 mining dump trucks, the BELARUS 1222.3 tractors, the K1242EP1BP adjustable zener diode microcircuit manufactured by Integral OJSC, and the President Exclusive dark chocolate from Kommunarka OJSC. In December, the recognizable
pentagon was awarded to the Egorka condensed milk from the Rogachev Dairy Canning Plant and the GS12A1 grain harvester from Gomselmash. 
Belarus managed to achieve a good harvest in 2025, despite challenging weather conditions. The harvest amounted to a record 11.15 million tons of grain, including rapeseed and corn. The farmers deserve special credit for this achievement. Among them is Pavel Shutilo, a machine operator at the Kukhchitsy enterprise, who threshed over 8,000 tons of grain during the 2025 harvest, setting an all-time record. "No result comes easy," says Pavel Shutilo. " Farming is hard work. My achievement is the result of the support of the entire team: from the director to the drivers and other workers. The machines worked continuously, without a moment's downtime. The work organization was at a very high level."
"Time for concrete action"
On December 18-19, the second meeting of the 7th All-Belarusian People's Assembly was held in Minsk. President of Belarus and Chairman of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly Alexander Lukashenko addressed the audience. Delegates of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly approved the Social and Economic Development Program of Belarus for 2026-2030. The document outlines seven priority areas: national and demographic security, strengthening the nation's health, and family support. Human development, high-quality education, and the cultivation of a harmonious and patriotic personality are also prioritized. Belarus will continue to create a high-quality and comfortable living environment. Particular attention is paid to the regions, where it is proposed to create decent conditions for a comfortable life and stable income. Another focus is on realizing the country's tourism potential. Among the main areas is production growth through increased competitiveness and digital transformation. The main priorities of the five-year plan include strengthening the country's defense capability and developing the defense sector of the economy. 
Gold and foreign exchange maximum
Gold and foreign exchange reservesBelarus's foreign exchange reserves grew to $14.3 billion. This figure significantly exceeded the forecast. Meanwhile, it is these funds that serve as the country's safety net. "For the first time, we have crossed the threshold of a three-month reserve reserve to cover three months of imports. This is an international indicator that characterizes the country's resilience," noted Roman Golovchenko , Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of Belarus . "Yes, of course, the global rise in gold prices contributed significantly to this. But we also accumulated foreign exchange reserves precisely because both businesses and individuals were active sellers of foreign currency on the domestic market."
According to Roman Golovchenko, the upward trend in foreign exchange reserves will continue next year.
Effective Presidency: Belarus assumed the chairmanship of the EAEU
for the third time on January 1, 2025. As Deputy Prime Minister Natalia Petkevich noted, our presidency was very effective; we implemented virtually the entire strategy. Of the five hundred measures, only a couple dozen remain unimplemented. At the summit in St. Petersburg, the leaders of the EAEU member states adopted a declaration on the further development of the Eurasian Economic Union until 2030 and for the period up to 2045. "It's important that our countries live not only in the present. We clearly understand the goals of integration for the foreseeable future," emphasized Natalia Petkevich. "In the strict spirit of economic pragmatism, specific, clear goals have been outlined: further development of a common Eurasian market, providing it with key goods and resources, developing cooperation, creating a common transport and logistics space and a common financial market, and actively positioning the EAEU internationally." The First Anniversary of Peaceful Atoms At a meeting on the performance of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant and the construction of new nuclear capacity, the President noted that five years ago our country entered a new era. During this period, the nuclear power plant in Ostrovets has generated over 53 billion kWh of electricity, allowing Belarus to completely eliminate electricity imports. Furthermore, the share of natural gas used for energy generation has been reduced by 30%. As a result, budget savings exceeding $1.6 billion were achieved. During the integration of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant into the country's energy grid, over 1,700 kilometers of power grids were reconstructed, and digital technologies were implemented. Our country ranks third in European countries for affordable electricity prices. "Belarus has developed a new economic sector, created the necessary infrastructure, and a modern personnel training system. We didn't have all of this," said Alexander Lukashenko. Thus, Ostrovets, where the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant is located, has become a modern and promising city, with its population almost doubling. 



A decision was also made to develop the Ostrovets Nuclear Power Plant, where a third power unit will be built. 
Two million tons!  On December 29, Belarusian oil producers reached the mark of two million tons of oil
produced by 2025. According to Belorusneft, the last time such a level of annual hydrocarbon production was reached was three decades ago. Modern technologies played a key role in achieving such a high bar. "Two million tons is an important milestone and a step forward. We have a large-scale project ahead of us to ensure our country's energy security," the company said.  High-profile film premieres . In 2025, significant achievements were achieved in Belarusian cinema. Two high-profile premieres took place simultaneously: "Cool" and "Turning Point." Both films are also being distributed in Russia. "This is a fairly honest, lively, and emotional film." "People find echoes of it in themselves, remembering their school years and realizing how wonderful and cool it was," shares Irina Moroz, the lead actress in "Classroom." "We made not just a sports drama, but also a teen film. Its main message is that no matter how hard it is, no matter how difficult the circumstances, everything can be fixed," adds Dmitry Soroka, director of "The Turning Point." Alexey Gorbunov, photo: BelTA, 7 Dney newspaper.