Family capital, the Minsk Charter, the Union combo, agricultural challenges, and building bridges. Key results of the President's week
Photo is illustrative in nature. From open sources.
ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO heard a report on the effectiveness of the agro-industrial complex. Alexander Lukashenko spoke at the II MINSK International Conference on Eurasian Security. Alexander Lukashenko awarded the best rural workers of the Grodno region at the regional festival and fair "Dazhynki-2024" in Mosty. Alexander Lukashenko heard a report on the effectiveness of the agro-industrial complex. Alexander Lukashenko spoke at the II Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security. Alexander Lukashenko awarded the best rural workers of the Grodno region at the regional festival and fair "Dazhynki-2024" in Mosty. Alexander Lukashenko heard a report on the effectiveness of the agro-industrial complex.
The "President's Week" project is for those who want to keep up with the head of state and stay informed about the most relevant statements and decisions of the Belarusian leader. The head of state held many significant events this week, but let's start with the important social decrees. Alexander Lukashenko extended his term of office for another five-year period. The document also expands the possibilities for using family capital funds to improve housing conditions and grants the right to receive family capital to foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in Belarus.
Another anticipated change concerns pensioners. Beginning January 1, 2025, pension restrictions for working pensioners will be lifted, which will improve the efficiency of employment of retirement-age individuals in the labor market. The document also provides for a number of other innovations in pension assignment and receipt, as well as social protection for children with disabilities. A
significant event not only for Belarus but also for the entire region was the holding of the second international conference on Eurasian security in Minsk. Alexander Lukashenko delivered a major programmatic speech there, in which he discussed the global security system and addressed existing problems.
On the sidelines of the conference, answering journalists' questions, Alexander Lukashenko spoke about alternative presidential candidates, among whom his supporters are clearly present. The head of state spoke about why they are doing this.
Alexander Lukashenko discussed deepening Belarusian-Russian cooperation, particularly in industrial cooperation, this week with First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov, and, with a focus on regional issues, with Sakhalin Oblast Governor Valery Limarenko. Incidentally, the President will hold a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State at the beginning of December.
The development of the agro-industrial complex was a central theme throughout the head of state's workweek. On Tuesday, Alexander Lukashenko heard a report on the effectiveness of the agro-industrial complex. The results are good, but there is room for improvement. "We need to jump higher!" he said.
On Saturday, the farmers' successes were celebrated at the regional festival and celebration "Dazhynki" in Mosty, Grodno Region. Alexander Lukashenko not only congratulated them on their achievements and presented them with awards, but also spoke about the future, discussing political issues and calling on all Belarusians to live on their land and care for it.
The 30th International Film Festival "Listapad" opened in Minsk this week. The President congratulated the participants and guests of the cultural forum on this event. "By expanding the geography of its participants and opening new creative horizons, Listapad proudly fulfills its humanitarian mission, bringing people and continents closer together, and affirming the ideals of peace and kindness," Alexander Lukashenko noted. A number of international congratulations on various occasions were addressed on behalf of the head of state to the leaders and peoples of countries such as [
Israel], ...
The Kristina and Kristina train crashes at Novi Sad railway station claimed many lives.
Alexander Lukashenko congratulated the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus on the 120th anniversary of the country's trade union movement. "Solidarity, justice, and the desire to work together for the good of the country—these principles have always been and remain the foundation of your work," he said.
Universities also celebrated anniversaries this week. The Faculty of Journalism at Belarusian State University celebrated its anniversary, and Vitebsk Medical University celebrated its anniversary, which also prompted presidential congratulations.
Workers and veterans of the air transport industry celebrated their professional holiday on Sunday . "Belarusian civil aviation represents almost a century of achievements and accomplishments in the field of the fastest, most comfortable, and most reliable transport," the head of state said in his congratulatory message.
The head of state also honored People's Artist of Belarus Tadeusz Kokshtys.
The visit is purely practical, as political agreements had already been reached at the head-of-state level. Now is the time to reinvigorate existing projects and outline clear guidelines for the future. Joint projects are also possible. This isn't some kind of "little brother" support , but rather mutual benefit, coupled with the allied nature of the relationship and strategic partnership.
"There are enough projects. Even more than we agreed on, in terms of the amount of money Russia has allocated in loans. Perhaps we will agree that Russia will be interested in our new projects and that this funding will be increased," the head of state stated at the beginning of the meeting. Denis Manturov confirmed: "Indeed, these are over 100 billion rubles in loans provided by the Russian Federation across many industrial sectors. These include microelectronics, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, and chemistry. This will truly be a significant contribution to our shared Union State treasury for building competencies and industrial potential."
Alexander Lukashenko noted that recently, Russian leaders have often discussed the West's failure to bring countries to their knees and somehow suppress them. "The economic sectors you lead deserve a great deal of credit for this, of course, especially industry. We have set ourselves the ambitious goal, again together with the Russians, of overcoming dependence on imports and have seriously engaged in import substitution," the President said. "This is a significant part of your work in Belarus with our government to determine our next steps."
The President recalled how, amid sanctions, Western partners abandoned everything and left, declaring they would not work. "They've gone – thank you. The expertise and people remain. We have sufficient raw materials and resources. We will produce and replace their goods with our own," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
Regarding the new era of aircraft manufacturing in Belarus,
the head of state expressed gratitude both to Denis Manturov personally and to the government and the President of Russia for the Russian side's funding of many joint import-substitution projects. "There are also such significant, global projects as the financing and production of the Osvey aircraft. For us, this is, so to speak, a completely new story. We are also grateful to you for this. Perhaps this aircraft will usher in the era of aircraft manufacturing in Belarus," the Belarusian leader stated.
The first prototypes of the aircraft are expected to be produced at the 558th Aircraft Repair Plant in 2026."You've rightly noted that this is Belarus's development as a nation with an aviation industry. It's actively developing today, and not just in light of the Osvey project," said Denis Manturov. "We're actively collaborating with Belarusian civil aviation plants to produce components. This applies to both the Il-76 and Tu-214 aircraft. I expect this trend to continue, and we'll expand our aircraft lineup, product range, and component count." Another new, but already well-established, era in Belarus is the automotive industry.
This
primarily concerns domestically produced passenger cars, as Belarusian MAZ and BELAZ trucks, among other vehicles, have long been well-known in many countries around the world. "You in Russia understand this matter more than anyone else. I would like to see these misunderstandings (or even some misunderstandings) regarding import substitution for passenger cars overcome, and to produce Belarusian and Russian cars primarily in our joint market," the President said.
Regarding plans for the Supreme State Council,
Alexander Lukashenko often speaks of the fact that solutions to various issues in Belarusian-Russian cooperation are best found at the sectoral or governmental level. But every now and then, "homework" is thrust upon the heads of state.
This time, the President of Belarus , noting the importance of Denis Manturov's visit, immediately noted: "President Putin and I discussed this and are awaiting the results of your visit to Belarus from the Russian government. So that, if there are any questions for the presidents, we can resolve them as soon as possible."
Clearly, this framing of the issue demonstrates a willingness not only to resolve issues at the highest level but also to carefully consider them at the lower levels. This is likely correct, as union projects are needed not just immediately, or even because of sanctions , but for years to come. And if we imagine that tomorrow relations with the West suddenly normalized, markets opened, and previous opportunities reappeared, then even in this case, joint Belarusian-Russian production would have to be competitive and on par. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been worth starting.
Alexander noted that a meeting of the Supreme State Council (SSC) of the Union State is planned for December 5. "Therefore, we need to dot all the i's, preferably at the SSC. So that both the coming years and the following ones are clear in terms of cooperation for Belarus and Russia," he said. "Atomic" Sakhalin. How to increase the Far East's contribution to Belarusian-Russian trade
Another Belarusian-Russian event on Monday was the President's meeting with Sakhalin Oblast Governor Valery Limarenko.
It began in a far from traditional manner. The current governor of this Far Eastern region previously held senior positions at the Rosatom corporation and was directly involved in the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant construction project. In October, he was awarded the Gratitude of the President of Belarus, and the current meeting became a good opportunity for the head of state to personally recognize Valery Limarenko's contribution to this common cause.
"I must officially thank you! This is for you - hang it in your office," said Alexander Lukashenko. "In the most honorable place!" promised Valery Limarenko. "
You are more than just one of us. Even you can't imagine what we had in mind when we decided to build a nuclear power plant. As you can see, I have not forgotten that you were present," said Alexander Lukashenko. "The plant turned out well. It operates without problems. Therefore, today we are already thinking about what to do with the second nuclear power plant: to build it or not to build it. I think the future lies in electricity, especially nuclear energy. Therefore, we are seriously considering the construction of a second nuclear power plant."
Valery Limarenko recalled that the Russianspromised to build the most efficient, safest nuclear power plant at the lowest price. And that's what happened. "Therefore, taking"Congratulations on this occasion, I want to say that the Russians kept their word. And I am very pleased that we remember this. In the future, God willing, we will do something else good together in various spheres. And I, God willing, will also be involved in this," he said.
Moving on to the topic of cooperation with the Sakhalin Region, Alexander Lukashenko expanded on the issue, speaking about Russia's Far Eastern regions as a whole. So far, their contribution to the two countries' combined foreign trade amounts to less than one percent, although in monetary terms this is an impressive sum – $350 million.
Considering the existing opportunities, this is not enough, the President is confident. He outlined several areas in which the parties can move to increase the quality and quantity of bilateral cooperation.
Import substitution. The two sides have already accomplished a great deal in this area. Russia is helping Belarus with loans for the implementation of joint projects. "Moreover, we currently have more projects than we planned. "From small things like microelectronics to aircraft manufacturing," said Alexander Lukashenko, continuing the topic he had discussed ten minutes earlier with Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. "I think that over the next five years, assuming they continue to pressure us like this (referring to Western sanctions – BelTA note), we will achieve almost complete import substitution." All these sanctions are also a time of opportunity."
Innovation and eco-friendly transport. The President noted that a unique experiment to create carbon neutrality is being conducted on Sakhalin. "We are very ready to cooperate with you on innovation and eco-friendly transport," said Alexander Lukashenko.
Incidentally, the world's first BELAZ heavy-duty truck, operating on hydrogen, will soon be used at Sakhalin testing grounds. The results will be evaluated in "combat conditions" – directly in the quarry. "If Russia and Belarus, under the sanctions, manage to implement such a super project that runs on hydrogen, it will be a major technological breakthrough, because hydrogen is the future, and we need to learn to live and work with hydrogen," Valery Limarenko enthusiastically noted. Alexander Lukashenko noted that Belarus is also widely implementing eco-friendly transport. Routes using electric buses even operate between some Belarusian cities. "If there is a desire, we can work with you and deliver our equipment to you," he suggested
. Since 2015, when the official agreement was signed with the Sakhalin Region, the region purchased approximately 900 units of various Belarusian equipment. Just recently, 100 buses were shipped to Sakhalin. Transport logistics and food . Belarus has much to offer in these areas as well. For example, in the project to create an international transport and logistics hub by modernizing the Korsakov Sea Trade Port on Sakhalin and building fish processing plants. Speaking about fish supplies, the President noted that they are very popular in Belarus. The Russian side has allocated quotas to Belarusian companies for fishing in its waters. "For as long as 10 years," the head of state stated.
Now, plans are underway to build a fish processing plant in the republic.
Traditional Belarusian products will also be happily brought from Belarus to Sakhalin, and distance, Alexander Lukashenko is confident, is irrelevant.
WE NEED TO JUMP HIGHER! To whom did Lukashenko set the most important task and what advice did he give to the presidential candidates? On October 29, Alexander Lukashenko heard a report on the performance of the agro-industrial complex. Of course, the focus was on the industry's situation. The results are good, but there is room for improvement. The head of state was most interested in the directions of this growth and plans for the future.
But Alexander Lukashenko also viewed the approaches to this important issue through the prism of the political and electoral processes currently underway in the country. "When we go to the people today to test them (they will take our five-year plan exam), we must say what we will do. Specifically. That's all there is to politics. And we all know how to speak beautifully. We probably have about five dozen (people – BelTA note) who can present something beautifully, say something. A politician, a future president, needs to be able to do this. But the most important thing is to be specific: what you will do," the Belarusian leader emphasized. Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that farmers need help, as the capital itself is literally draining the regions of labor resources, while rural areas need to feed the urban population. And Belarus knows how to do this well. Even foreign leaders sometimes ask the head of state to send something for testing. "We've learned how to do this. But for now, we've reached a plateau and can't go any higher. But we'll have to. And that's our main task and promise to the Belarusian people during this election period," the head of state stated.
As for helping farmers, Minsk has already set a good example in this regard, helping build a number of modern dairy farms in the Minsk region. This, in turn, has raised legitimate questions from leaders of other regions. After all, MILK is transported to the capital by enterprises from all over the country.
"You remember that Shuleiko, when he was governor (before his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister, Yuri Shuleiko headed the Brest Region – BelTA), was terribly indignant that we helped the Minsk Region. And the governor was quite right to raise the issue then," Alexander Lukashenko recalled. "So we need to promise them that we will build at least one complex. Even if you can't find all the money for it in Minsk, I'll still lend a helping hand." Regarding the work of new personnel in agriculture,
the head of state encourages those responsible for the agro-industrial complex to take more active and decisive action: "As for agriculture, well, we haven't exactly rushed to hire new personnel. We have a new Deputy Prime Minister and a vaunted new minister. But for now... It hasn't gotten any worse, but it hasn't gotten much better either. Maybe, except for the Minsk Region."
Aleksandr Lukashenko briefed officials responsible for the agricultural sector on their vow to complete fieldwork by November 7. He questioned the meeting participants in detail about both the general completion of the harvest and the results for individual crops. He also drew the officials' attention to quality issues. "I travel to 'Dazhynki' all over the country. To see and thank people is one thing. But secondly, I see how Aleksandr Genrikhovich (Turchin, Chairman of the Minsk Regional Executive Committee – BELTA) carries out my instructions, how he plows, and his farming culture. I'll see what you're putting in the trenches," the head of state warned of his oversight.
Regarding advice for candidates and the need for specific promises
, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that in today's times, simply telling people something may not be well received. "People need to get it and put it to good use. That's right. Therefore, as we enter the presidential campaign (I represent you, the government), we must tell the people," the President noted.
He added that the candidate's track record is crucial: "If someone with an old background is trying to run for office, they need to be very careful. Perhaps I shouldn't say this. But nevertheless, everyone who wants to do something today, and there are quite a few of them, are people who grew up under us, not even under me. So here's my advice to them: what will you do and how deeply do you understand these issues?"
Alexander Lukashenko is confident that specificity is important in promises to the people. He cited several examples. One concerns the construction and maintenance of roads. "If it's roads, where and how.
I've already spoken about it. From district centers to agro-towns. We've done a lot. There's very little work left there. But even in passing, up to agro-towns, we must involve large villages that were once the centers of farms," he said.
And it doesn't matter whether the village is large or small, but we especially mustn't forget the elderly who live there. "We can't abandon them to anyone else. We need to take care of them," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
When it comes to food quality, work on this issue begins with the farm, the dairy complex. Much has been done in this direction, and Alexander Lukashenko clearly outlined the prospects: "We must tell people directly that over the next five years, we will resolve the issue of dairy complexes. A dairy herd, a cow, must stand in this palace. In order to get pure milk. After all, the cow deserves it."
GLOBAL SECURITY. How Belarus managed to achieve the almost impossible in an era of confrontation. From October 31 to November 1, the Belarusian capital hosted the II Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security. Approximately 600 participants from more than 40 countries, including EU member states and the United States , gathered. High-ranking guests from across Eurasia included representatives of the OSCE, CIS, and SCO countries, heads of several international organizations, and high-ranking experts from leading think tanks across the Eurasian region.
Belarus is achieving the almost impossible, despite sanctions, external pressure, and its status as a "co-aggressor." While the West is closing borders and building fences, pumping its southern neighbor Ukraine with money and weapons to continue a senseless war, and teetering on the brink of nuclear apocalypse, Minsk is opening its doors to dialogue and peace, inviting even representatives of so-called unfriendly countries to participate in the discussion. It is no exaggeration to say that over the course of these two days, the Belarusian capital has become a global center of multipolarity, cooperation, and, most importantly, common sense.
A tuning fork for the discussion was Alexander Lukashenko's hour-long speech at the high-level session that opened the conference. High-ranking guests included Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó (the country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union), and Russian Foreign MinisterSergey Lavrov , the Chinese Government's Special Representative for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui, and Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs Bassam Sabbagh also spoke. High-ranking representatives of Iran and Myanmar, as well as the heads of international organizations such as the CSTO, CICA, SCO, and CIS, and the State Secretary of the Union State also spoke. The range of participants in the conference's many working sessions and other events was even more diverse.
Incidentally, two BELTA exhibitions—"Sovereign Belarus" and "Belarus. Takeoff"—were also on display for the numerous guests.
At the very beginning of his speech at the conference, Alexander stated the key point: "Unfortunately, today you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of venues where open, constructive expert discussions on international security are held. Yet we vitally need honest conversations and impartial assessments of current events. I say this and think that in our modern world, this is almost unthinkable. We need even more effective measures to counter modern challenges and threats. If we don't unite in this regard and don't develop and implement these measures, there will be disaster." It's important to note here that Belarus initiated the development of a Charter on Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century a year ago , work on which continued during the current conference. It's too early to discuss specific deadlines, but the draft document is planned to be subsequently submitted to the intergovernmental process."We see this document as comprehensive and all-encompassing, without being tied to a specific region, in order to facilitate the formation of a consensus on security," the Belarusian leader emphasized. He emphasized that security cannot be maintained on just one continent. "We advocate for the creation of a common space of trust and cooperation between the West, which remains a minority, and the global majority. We advocate for the unification of countries not against anyone, but in the name of a common goal, in order to avoid a fatal civilizational rift," the President stated.
In his speech, Alexander Lukashenko discussed the crisis gripping the planet, referring to the United States, which, despite its potential, has proven to be a global pillar of support for the entire world. Moreover, they can't even sort out their own affairs, and the President doesn't rule out the possibility of another outbreak there. The United States is behaving similarly; it's incapable of establishing order at home, but knows well how to distract from internal problems—by appointing an external enemy.The president called for military conflicts to avoid the total militarization of the planet, and, according to him, the solution to security problems lies in Eurasia. There is only one conclusion: a unipolar world does not work and could not work for him. "In life, an alternative is always and everywhere needed. There is no alternative; monopolization is a disaster. A completely different level of responsibility is needed. The response to this demand has literally been the emergence before our eyes of the regional SCO and the global BRICS as platforms for uniting like-minded people. That is, people around the world have begun to seek some way out of the unipolar world," the Belarusian leader stated. "The self-organization of the global majority—that is, today, Western neoliberals and pseudo-democrats."
However, the head of state has no illusions about the real state of affairs in the SCO and BRICS, as he has stated quite openly. Although their influence in the world and potential are great, sometimes, as they say, they are not taking concrete steps. Meanwhile, people want a real alternative. The head of state spoke very clearly and in detail about the war in Ukraine , the causes that led to the conflict, the possibility of a peace process, the situation on the ground, and the sentiments of the parties. Alexander Lukashenko had spoken about much of this previously, but it was important to repeat it in a concentrated and detailed manner specifically for this international audience. After all, let's be under no illusions: the information agenda being imposed in a number of countries is quite different from what is evident from Minsk.The main messages on this topic are: the West already wants peace, but they also want to save face, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy's personal ambitions have taken hold; Ukraine won't win on the battlefield, but the risk of escalation remains, and therefore it's important to sit down at the negotiating table without preconditions as soon as possible. And also, at the negotiating table to resolve the situation in Ukraine, which for our country is a matter of guaranteeing security. Regarding the degradation of security: which areas are under attack?
One of the most meaningful parts of the Belarusian leader's speech was the points in which he spoke about the degradation of security in all areas. According to Alexander Lukashenko, this is due to the lack of a system of checks and balances. First. Politics. Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that the collapse of all democratic tenets is evident in the world.
"We see: there is democracy for oneself, and then there is democracy for EXPORT . What democratic values can explain what is happening in the Middle East and what happened in Ukraine?
Is the physical elimination of an individual, whom, for example, the United States and its satellites consider a threat to national security, the height of democracy?" the President noted. "Or is there a new 'democratic' trend—heads of sovereign states."
"And what does declaring the Secretary-General of the United Nations persona non grata for his principled position, which he finally openly expressed, have to do with democracy? Or how should we assess the relentless attacks on António Guterres for attending the BRICS summit—an association of countries that accounts for almost 40% of global GDP?" the head of state noted.
He noted that not only individual leaders, but entire nations are being attacked. And the "rampant 'democracy'" has led to a frighteningly large-scale split in civil society.
"We are witnessing a flammable situation in Germany, France, Poland, Moldova, Georgia, and elsewhere. America itself has been in turmoil for the past decade," Alexander Lukashenko noted. The migration crisis
is one of the causes of today's global events , the President stated. He drew attention to the fact that the deaths and beatings of refugees and migrants in the countries of the collective West have become a horrific daily reality. But the world media is silent about this, while accusations against Belarus of creating this crisis are constantly making headlines. Second, military security. "States are increasingly forced to use military force to defend their sovereignty, internal stability, or prevent escalation, which is very important today. "The further escalation of the Ukrainian and Middle Eastern conflicts is fraught with irreparable consequences on a global scale," said Alexander Lukashenko. By focusing only on these two hotspots, the world somehow ignores the fact that there are currently approximately 55 armed conflicts in which thousands of people die daily. "Take the one that the collective West supposedly finds it inconvenient to highlight," the President cited as an example. "And if we take the long view, the Middle East
"And Ukraine combined are taking it easy. There, in the Indian Ocean and the gulf that the Houthis currently control, a catastrophe such as we never even dreamed of could occur." He also recalled that there are essentially no legitimate international legal instruments left that provide guarantees in the area of military security. Essentially, only two treaties remain: the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty, and even those are ineffective. Meanwhile, no work is being done to conclude new agreements in this area. "This means someone doesn't need them. And this is primarily the fault of politicians, not the military," the Belarusian leader noted. Third. The Economy . Alexander Lukashenko stated that half the world is slapped with illegal sanctions, entire sectors of the economy have been paralyzed by illegitimate restrictions, and private property rights have been destroyed.
Purchasing Western brands is no longer a guarantee of technological security, as they can refuse to supply spare parts or provide service at any time. This even applies to medical equipment. "This is about people's HEALTH ! What does Lukashenko have to do with this, what does the 'dictatorship' and the government in Belarus have to do with this, if this affects ordinary people?" he asked.
"The system of international division of labor, which we worked so hard to build, has been undermined. And the next step is the expansion of protectionism and closed economies? Are we going to move backwards instead of forward?" the head of state asked.
In the age of high technology, food shortages remain a pressing issue. At the same time, countries exporting food, fertilizers, and agricultural machinery are being deprived of the right to supply their products to those in dire need for political reasons.
"While aimed at destroying national economies, sanctions actually work against ordinary people. Under such circumstances, how can we even talk about fulfilling our obligations under the UN Sustainable Development Goals? It's clear that the world would be much closer to resolving these issues," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
Fourth, information security. The media have become a real weapon, the head of state stated: "Post-truth, endless fakes, manipulation of public opinion, the seizure of financial resources, and the organization of coups d'état are transnational in nature and, in their power, more dangerous than any military intervention."Moreover, attempts are increasingly being made to use advanced developments in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, neural networks, and quantum physics to destroy humanity. "Society will shudder repeatedly when the blatant facts of American activity around the world are revealed, especially along the borders of Belarus and Russia," the head of state is confident.
Regarding measures to de-escalate tensions in the world,
the President not only spoke about the obvious problems, challenges, and threats to Eurasian and global security, but also, in the Belarusian view, outlined a number of priority measures to de-escalate tensions in the world.
First, "To truly defuse the situation and create conditions for dialogue, it is necessary to withdraw American nuclear weapons from the territory of Eurasian countries. This deadly arsenal is an anachronism of the Cold War. Then we, too, will not stand aside," the Belarusian leader stated.
"I'm responding to those who are currently concerned about the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. Just don't forget that we recently (I remember this) withdrew our strategic weapons. Strategic weapons. The most advanced weapons currently in service with Russia, and this was primarily demanded of us by the United States of America," the Belarusian leader added.
Second, it is necessary to eliminate the practice of applying illegal sanctions without UN Security Council decisions and create an effective mechanism of international legal guarantees that prevent the use of such pressure.
The third measure proposed by the Belarusian side concerns the development of a new legal mechanism for creating a transparent and understandable control regime for new deadly technologies capable of destroying all of humanity even without nuclear weapons: lasers, hypersonics, quantum and electromagnetic systems, and other advanced developments with not fully understood properties.
For example, developments in the field of artificial intelligence are currently underway. But so far, there is no clear answer to key questions about the global consequences and the safety of such technologies for humanity.
Fourth. An entire industry is also developing unchecked in the cybersphere, aimed at creating and deploying malicious solutions with global consequences.
"Cyberweapons. And whoever's smarter will win," the head of state remarked. "No nuclear weapons are needed."
He proposed adopting an international legal act on cyber non-aggression, which would prohibit the use of these weapons against each other, as well as establishing a system for monitoring their development and use.
SMALL, BUT MIGHTY. What Lukashenko assured residents of the Grodno region of and why Bridges are steeper than Paris.
Interestingly, back in 1997, the President also attended the "Dazhynki" festival in Mosty, where farmers from all over Belarus were honored. This time, as then, the head of state was presented with a loaf of bread. It was presented to the President by Irina Sosnovskaya, who had presented the same loaf of bread to the head of state in 1997.
The President recalled how, speaking at the "Dazhynki" festival in Mosty, he said: "Where there is bread, there will be peace, there will be song!" After all, grain is the country's gold reserve, a guarantee of confident, dynamic development and prosperity.
"Dazhynki" is, first and foremost, a celebration. Alexander Lukashenko was pleased to fulfill his duty—to honor the best workers of the Grodno Region. He spoke extensively about the region's development successes, which is well-deserved and objective: the over 2.2 million tons of Belarus's main treasure—grain and legumes—harvested this year are impressive. But the time has come to reach new heights—to steadily reach 2.5 million tons in harvested grain, and for the country as a whole, to at least double rapeseed production.
The President noted that the Grodno Region, as the saying goes, is small (in size), but mighty. This region is one of the leaders in the national agricultural sector, a cultural and spiritual center, and home to several UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The head of state even compares the city of Mosty to Paris, and not in the latter's favor: "Locals poetically call Mosty a little Paris. You're wrong. Believe me, Mosty is more attractive today than Paris itself. Broken windows, burned-out cars, bedbugs, crime, and migrants everywhere—we saw all this in reports from the Olympic Games. And the dirty Seine River doesn't hold a candle to our majestic, full-flowing Neman."
But the most important thing is the people. "Any production successes, whether in agriculture or industry, should be aimed at improving the lives of our people," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
Overall, the Grodno Region does indeed have far fewer development problems than some other regions of Belarus, but it was precisely with such unpleasant moments that Alexander Lukashenko began his working visit. Presidential Aide and Inspector for the Grodno Region, Yuri Karayev, spoke about livestock losses, insufficient land reclamation, and some fieldwork. "Very accurate. You are catastrophically late in raising the fallow land," Alexander Lukashenko emphasized. "And another 'disease,' which I warned the governor about, is the outer districts along the perimeter. Your outer districts are strikingly different. We need to...""So that the agricultural culture would be like here. This doesn't exist."
The President also demanded that lands formerly used for quarries be restored and reclaimed. The head of state paid particular attention to abandoned garden plots.
"The Grodno region needs to be addressed in this regard, despite the fact that they are no worse, and sometimes better, than other regions. These are very serious shortcomings. I see the entire country," Alexander Lukashenko stated.
Speaking
at the celebration, the President recalled that the land and people of the Grodno region have repeatedly become bargaining chips in political games. "Having come here after many years, I must say that never again will the Grodno region and our Belarusians who live here (the Belarusian nation—Poles, Jews, Tatars, Ukrainians, Russians) ever again be used as bargaining chips by politicians," the head of state promised. "But we never lost faith, hope, or national identity back then, and we reunited in a united Belarus back in 1939."
"But in Belarus, we have not allowed representatives of one nationality to be elevated above others. And you in Grodno know this well. Our Belarusians, our Ukrainians, our Russians, our Jews, our Poles, our representatives of all nationalities, of which there are 150 in the country, live here," the Belarusian leader emphasized. "We are all different. Sometimes completely different. But we are a single Belarusian people. By right of the land on which we live together now and on which our children will live . And we will do everything for this."
On building bridges, openness in Belarus, and dictatorship, the head of state noted that foreigners enjoy visiting Belarus—a clean, safe, and comfortable country. And this brand must be preserved. Even in the face of sanctions, various restrictions, and pressure, Belarus responded with visa-free travel for citizens of nearly a hundred countries. Because, as the President emphasizes, people should not suffer from the stupidity of their leaders.
Since the introduction of visa-free travel, nearly a million people have seen firsthand what Belarus truly is: a dictatorship of stability, security, order, kindness, and hospitality. "A dictatorship of justice. Perhaps we haven't done everything yet. But any president who will lead the country in the near future must do everything within five years to ensure that we have the fairest country," the Belarusian leader declared.
"Believe me, we are not escalating the situation. Russia is not planning to attack Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, or Ukraine through Belarus. That would be sheer nonsense!" Alexander Lukashenko declared. "No one in Belarus is planning to fight their neighbors or NATO without our knowledge. They have set themselves the goal of strangling us and Russia, and today, in pursuit of this goal, they are looking for excuses. It's simple: they are looking for a reason to reproach us for something."
The president reiterated his thesis that one does not choose one's neighbors and called for neighborly relations.
On living on one's own land,
the head of state told Belarusians to live on their own land. "Nobody there (abroad - BELTA) needs you, these fugitives have proven it: the kids went to school - there's bullying, they're starting to harass our kids at school. Why did you go there?" the Belarusian leader noted.
"You have your own land, you should live on it. You should farm your land and cherish it," Alexander Lukashenko emphasized. "We live in paradise compared to how the world lives. How they steal, how they tear apart countries, how they destroy people because they have a different skin color and because they have enormous wealth in the land. Therefore, I ask and demand you: whether I am President or not, keep your land for yourselves!" "
We must preserve our country. Today, we have everything we need to respond to those who have gone crazy if they don't understand that we need to live with us, be friends, cooperate, and raise our children together. Live in peace. It won't be easy. The next five years will be very difficult, but we will endure if we are united and stand together," the head of state is confident.
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The "President's Week" project is for those who want to keep up with the head of state and stay informed about the most relevant statements and decisions of the Belarusian leader. The head of state held many significant events this week, but let's start with the important social decrees. Alexander Lukashenko extended his term of office for another five-year period. The document also expands the possibilities for using family capital funds to improve housing conditions and grants the right to receive family capital to foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in Belarus.
Another anticipated change concerns pensioners. Beginning January 1, 2025, pension restrictions for working pensioners will be lifted, which will improve the efficiency of employment of retirement-age individuals in the labor market. The document also provides for a number of other innovations in pension assignment and receipt, as well as social protection for children with disabilities. A
significant event not only for Belarus but also for the entire region was the holding of the second international conference on Eurasian security in Minsk. Alexander Lukashenko delivered a major programmatic speech there, in which he discussed the global security system and addressed existing problems.
On the sidelines of the conference, answering journalists' questions, Alexander Lukashenko spoke about alternative presidential candidates, among whom his supporters are clearly present. The head of state spoke about why they are doing this.
Alexander Lukashenko discussed deepening Belarusian-Russian cooperation, particularly in industrial cooperation, this week with First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov, and, with a focus on regional issues, with Sakhalin Oblast Governor Valery Limarenko. Incidentally, the President will hold a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State at the beginning of December.
The development of the agro-industrial complex was a central theme throughout the head of state's workweek. On Tuesday, Alexander Lukashenko heard a report on the effectiveness of the agro-industrial complex. The results are good, but there is room for improvement. "We need to jump higher!" he said.
On Saturday, the farmers' successes were celebrated at the regional festival and celebration "Dazhynki" in Mosty, Grodno Region. Alexander Lukashenko not only congratulated them on their achievements and presented them with awards, but also spoke about the future, discussing political issues and calling on all Belarusians to live on their land and care for it.
The 30th International Film Festival "Listapad" opened in Minsk this week. The President congratulated the participants and guests of the cultural forum on this event. "By expanding the geography of its participants and opening new creative horizons, Listapad proudly fulfills its humanitarian mission, bringing people and continents closer together, and affirming the ideals of peace and kindness," Alexander Lukashenko noted. A number of international congratulations on various occasions were addressed on behalf of the head of state to the leaders and peoples of countries such as [
Israel], ...
The Kristina and Kristina train crashes at Novi Sad railway station claimed many lives.
Alexander Lukashenko congratulated the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus on the 120th anniversary of the country's trade union movement. "Solidarity, justice, and the desire to work together for the good of the country—these principles have always been and remain the foundation of your work," he said.
Universities also celebrated anniversaries this week. The Faculty of Journalism at Belarusian State University celebrated its anniversary, and Vitebsk Medical University celebrated its anniversary, which also prompted presidential congratulations.
Workers and veterans of the air transport industry celebrated their professional holiday on Sunday . "Belarusian civil aviation represents almost a century of achievements and accomplishments in the field of the fastest, most comfortable, and most reliable transport," the head of state said in his congratulatory message.
The head of state also honored People's Artist of Belarus Tadeusz Kokshtys.
The visit is purely practical, as political agreements had already been reached at the head-of-state level. Now is the time to reinvigorate existing projects and outline clear guidelines for the future. Joint projects are also possible. This isn't some kind of "little brother" support , but rather mutual benefit, coupled with the allied nature of the relationship and strategic partnership.
"There are enough projects. Even more than we agreed on, in terms of the amount of money Russia has allocated in loans. Perhaps we will agree that Russia will be interested in our new projects and that this funding will be increased," the head of state stated at the beginning of the meeting. Denis Manturov confirmed: "Indeed, these are over 100 billion rubles in loans provided by the Russian Federation across many industrial sectors. These include microelectronics, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, and chemistry. This will truly be a significant contribution to our shared Union State treasury for building competencies and industrial potential."
Alexander Lukashenko noted that recently, Russian leaders have often discussed the West's failure to bring countries to their knees and somehow suppress them. "The economic sectors you lead deserve a great deal of credit for this, of course, especially industry. We have set ourselves the ambitious goal, again together with the Russians, of overcoming dependence on imports and have seriously engaged in import substitution," the President said. "This is a significant part of your work in Belarus with our government to determine our next steps."
The President recalled how, amid sanctions, Western partners abandoned everything and left, declaring they would not work. "They've gone – thank you. The expertise and people remain. We have sufficient raw materials and resources. We will produce and replace their goods with our own," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
Regarding the new era of aircraft manufacturing in Belarus,
the head of state expressed gratitude both to Denis Manturov personally and to the government and the President of Russia for the Russian side's funding of many joint import-substitution projects. "There are also such significant, global projects as the financing and production of the Osvey aircraft. For us, this is, so to speak, a completely new story. We are also grateful to you for this. Perhaps this aircraft will usher in the era of aircraft manufacturing in Belarus," the Belarusian leader stated.
The first prototypes of the aircraft are expected to be produced at the 558th Aircraft Repair Plant in 2026."You've rightly noted that this is Belarus's development as a nation with an aviation industry. It's actively developing today, and not just in light of the Osvey project," said Denis Manturov. "We're actively collaborating with Belarusian civil aviation plants to produce components. This applies to both the Il-76 and Tu-214 aircraft. I expect this trend to continue, and we'll expand our aircraft lineup, product range, and component count." Another new, but already well-established, era in Belarus is the automotive industry.
This
primarily concerns domestically produced passenger cars, as Belarusian MAZ and BELAZ trucks, among other vehicles, have long been well-known in many countries around the world. "You in Russia understand this matter more than anyone else. I would like to see these misunderstandings (or even some misunderstandings) regarding import substitution for passenger cars overcome, and to produce Belarusian and Russian cars primarily in our joint market," the President said.
Regarding plans for the Supreme State Council,
Alexander Lukashenko often speaks of the fact that solutions to various issues in Belarusian-Russian cooperation are best found at the sectoral or governmental level. But every now and then, "homework" is thrust upon the heads of state.
This time, the President of Belarus , noting the importance of Denis Manturov's visit, immediately noted: "President Putin and I discussed this and are awaiting the results of your visit to Belarus from the Russian government. So that, if there are any questions for the presidents, we can resolve them as soon as possible."
Clearly, this framing of the issue demonstrates a willingness not only to resolve issues at the highest level but also to carefully consider them at the lower levels. This is likely correct, as union projects are needed not just immediately, or even because of sanctions , but for years to come. And if we imagine that tomorrow relations with the West suddenly normalized, markets opened, and previous opportunities reappeared, then even in this case, joint Belarusian-Russian production would have to be competitive and on par. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been worth starting.
Alexander noted that a meeting of the Supreme State Council (SSC) of the Union State is planned for December 5. "Therefore, we need to dot all the i's, preferably at the SSC. So that both the coming years and the following ones are clear in terms of cooperation for Belarus and Russia," he said. "Atomic" Sakhalin. How to increase the Far East's contribution to Belarusian-Russian trade
Another Belarusian-Russian event on Monday was the President's meeting with Sakhalin Oblast Governor Valery Limarenko.
It began in a far from traditional manner. The current governor of this Far Eastern region previously held senior positions at the Rosatom corporation and was directly involved in the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant construction project. In October, he was awarded the Gratitude of the President of Belarus, and the current meeting became a good opportunity for the head of state to personally recognize Valery Limarenko's contribution to this common cause.
"I must officially thank you! This is for you - hang it in your office," said Alexander Lukashenko. "In the most honorable place!" promised Valery Limarenko. "
You are more than just one of us. Even you can't imagine what we had in mind when we decided to build a nuclear power plant. As you can see, I have not forgotten that you were present," said Alexander Lukashenko. "The plant turned out well. It operates without problems. Therefore, today we are already thinking about what to do with the second nuclear power plant: to build it or not to build it. I think the future lies in electricity, especially nuclear energy. Therefore, we are seriously considering the construction of a second nuclear power plant."
Valery Limarenko recalled that the Russianspromised to build the most efficient, safest nuclear power plant at the lowest price. And that's what happened. "Therefore, taking"Congratulations on this occasion, I want to say that the Russians kept their word. And I am very pleased that we remember this. In the future, God willing, we will do something else good together in various spheres. And I, God willing, will also be involved in this," he said.
Moving on to the topic of cooperation with the Sakhalin Region, Alexander Lukashenko expanded on the issue, speaking about Russia's Far Eastern regions as a whole. So far, their contribution to the two countries' combined foreign trade amounts to less than one percent, although in monetary terms this is an impressive sum – $350 million.
Considering the existing opportunities, this is not enough, the President is confident. He outlined several areas in which the parties can move to increase the quality and quantity of bilateral cooperation.
Import substitution. The two sides have already accomplished a great deal in this area. Russia is helping Belarus with loans for the implementation of joint projects. "Moreover, we currently have more projects than we planned. "From small things like microelectronics to aircraft manufacturing," said Alexander Lukashenko, continuing the topic he had discussed ten minutes earlier with Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. "I think that over the next five years, assuming they continue to pressure us like this (referring to Western sanctions – BelTA note), we will achieve almost complete import substitution." All these sanctions are also a time of opportunity."
Innovation and eco-friendly transport. The President noted that a unique experiment to create carbon neutrality is being conducted on Sakhalin. "We are very ready to cooperate with you on innovation and eco-friendly transport," said Alexander Lukashenko.
Incidentally, the world's first BELAZ heavy-duty truck, operating on hydrogen, will soon be used at Sakhalin testing grounds. The results will be evaluated in "combat conditions" – directly in the quarry. "If Russia and Belarus, under the sanctions, manage to implement such a super project that runs on hydrogen, it will be a major technological breakthrough, because hydrogen is the future, and we need to learn to live and work with hydrogen," Valery Limarenko enthusiastically noted. Alexander Lukashenko noted that Belarus is also widely implementing eco-friendly transport. Routes using electric buses even operate between some Belarusian cities. "If there is a desire, we can work with you and deliver our equipment to you," he suggested
. Since 2015, when the official agreement was signed with the Sakhalin Region, the region purchased approximately 900 units of various Belarusian equipment. Just recently, 100 buses were shipped to Sakhalin. Transport logistics and food . Belarus has much to offer in these areas as well. For example, in the project to create an international transport and logistics hub by modernizing the Korsakov Sea Trade Port on Sakhalin and building fish processing plants. Speaking about fish supplies, the President noted that they are very popular in Belarus. The Russian side has allocated quotas to Belarusian companies for fishing in its waters. "For as long as 10 years," the head of state stated.
Now, plans are underway to build a fish processing plant in the republic.
Traditional Belarusian products will also be happily brought from Belarus to Sakhalin, and distance, Alexander Lukashenko is confident, is irrelevant.
WE NEED TO JUMP HIGHER! To whom did Lukashenko set the most important task and what advice did he give to the presidential candidates? On October 29, Alexander Lukashenko heard a report on the performance of the agro-industrial complex. Of course, the focus was on the industry's situation. The results are good, but there is room for improvement. The head of state was most interested in the directions of this growth and plans for the future.
But Alexander Lukashenko also viewed the approaches to this important issue through the prism of the political and electoral processes currently underway in the country. "When we go to the people today to test them (they will take our five-year plan exam), we must say what we will do. Specifically. That's all there is to politics. And we all know how to speak beautifully. We probably have about five dozen (people – BelTA note) who can present something beautifully, say something. A politician, a future president, needs to be able to do this. But the most important thing is to be specific: what you will do," the Belarusian leader emphasized. Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that farmers need help, as the capital itself is literally draining the regions of labor resources, while rural areas need to feed the urban population. And Belarus knows how to do this well. Even foreign leaders sometimes ask the head of state to send something for testing. "We've learned how to do this. But for now, we've reached a plateau and can't go any higher. But we'll have to. And that's our main task and promise to the Belarusian people during this election period," the head of state stated.
As for helping farmers, Minsk has already set a good example in this regard, helping build a number of modern dairy farms in the Minsk region. This, in turn, has raised legitimate questions from leaders of other regions. After all, MILK is transported to the capital by enterprises from all over the country.
"You remember that Shuleiko, when he was governor (before his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister, Yuri Shuleiko headed the Brest Region – BelTA), was terribly indignant that we helped the Minsk Region. And the governor was quite right to raise the issue then," Alexander Lukashenko recalled. "So we need to promise them that we will build at least one complex. Even if you can't find all the money for it in Minsk, I'll still lend a helping hand." Regarding the work of new personnel in agriculture,
the head of state encourages those responsible for the agro-industrial complex to take more active and decisive action: "As for agriculture, well, we haven't exactly rushed to hire new personnel. We have a new Deputy Prime Minister and a vaunted new minister. But for now... It hasn't gotten any worse, but it hasn't gotten much better either. Maybe, except for the Minsk Region."
Aleksandr Lukashenko briefed officials responsible for the agricultural sector on their vow to complete fieldwork by November 7. He questioned the meeting participants in detail about both the general completion of the harvest and the results for individual crops. He also drew the officials' attention to quality issues. "I travel to 'Dazhynki' all over the country. To see and thank people is one thing. But secondly, I see how Aleksandr Genrikhovich (Turchin, Chairman of the Minsk Regional Executive Committee – BELTA) carries out my instructions, how he plows, and his farming culture. I'll see what you're putting in the trenches," the head of state warned of his oversight.
Regarding advice for candidates and the need for specific promises
, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that in today's times, simply telling people something may not be well received. "People need to get it and put it to good use. That's right. Therefore, as we enter the presidential campaign (I represent you, the government), we must tell the people," the President noted.
He added that the candidate's track record is crucial: "If someone with an old background is trying to run for office, they need to be very careful. Perhaps I shouldn't say this. But nevertheless, everyone who wants to do something today, and there are quite a few of them, are people who grew up under us, not even under me. So here's my advice to them: what will you do and how deeply do you understand these issues?"
Alexander Lukashenko is confident that specificity is important in promises to the people. He cited several examples. One concerns the construction and maintenance of roads. "If it's roads, where and how.
I've already spoken about it. From district centers to agro-towns. We've done a lot. There's very little work left there. But even in passing, up to agro-towns, we must involve large villages that were once the centers of farms," he said.
And it doesn't matter whether the village is large or small, but we especially mustn't forget the elderly who live there. "We can't abandon them to anyone else. We need to take care of them," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
When it comes to food quality, work on this issue begins with the farm, the dairy complex. Much has been done in this direction, and Alexander Lukashenko clearly outlined the prospects: "We must tell people directly that over the next five years, we will resolve the issue of dairy complexes. A dairy herd, a cow, must stand in this palace. In order to get pure milk. After all, the cow deserves it."
GLOBAL SECURITY. How Belarus managed to achieve the almost impossible in an era of confrontation. From October 31 to November 1, the Belarusian capital hosted the II Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security. Approximately 600 participants from more than 40 countries, including EU member states and the United States , gathered. High-ranking guests from across Eurasia included representatives of the OSCE, CIS, and SCO countries, heads of several international organizations, and high-ranking experts from leading think tanks across the Eurasian region.
Belarus is achieving the almost impossible, despite sanctions, external pressure, and its status as a "co-aggressor." While the West is closing borders and building fences, pumping its southern neighbor Ukraine with money and weapons to continue a senseless war, and teetering on the brink of nuclear apocalypse, Minsk is opening its doors to dialogue and peace, inviting even representatives of so-called unfriendly countries to participate in the discussion. It is no exaggeration to say that over the course of these two days, the Belarusian capital has become a global center of multipolarity, cooperation, and, most importantly, common sense.
A tuning fork for the discussion was Alexander Lukashenko's hour-long speech at the high-level session that opened the conference. High-ranking guests included Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó (the country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union), and Russian Foreign MinisterSergey Lavrov , the Chinese Government's Special Representative for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui, and Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs Bassam Sabbagh also spoke. High-ranking representatives of Iran and Myanmar, as well as the heads of international organizations such as the CSTO, CICA, SCO, and CIS, and the State Secretary of the Union State also spoke. The range of participants in the conference's many working sessions and other events was even more diverse.
Incidentally, two BELTA exhibitions—"Sovereign Belarus" and "Belarus. Takeoff"—were also on display for the numerous guests.
At the very beginning of his speech at the conference, Alexander stated the key point: "Unfortunately, today you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of venues where open, constructive expert discussions on international security are held. Yet we vitally need honest conversations and impartial assessments of current events. I say this and think that in our modern world, this is almost unthinkable. We need even more effective measures to counter modern challenges and threats. If we don't unite in this regard and don't develop and implement these measures, there will be disaster." It's important to note here that Belarus initiated the development of a Charter on Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century a year ago , work on which continued during the current conference. It's too early to discuss specific deadlines, but the draft document is planned to be subsequently submitted to the intergovernmental process."We see this document as comprehensive and all-encompassing, without being tied to a specific region, in order to facilitate the formation of a consensus on security," the Belarusian leader emphasized. He emphasized that security cannot be maintained on just one continent. "We advocate for the creation of a common space of trust and cooperation between the West, which remains a minority, and the global majority. We advocate for the unification of countries not against anyone, but in the name of a common goal, in order to avoid a fatal civilizational rift," the President stated.
In his speech, Alexander Lukashenko discussed the crisis gripping the planet, referring to the United States, which, despite its potential, has proven to be a global pillar of support for the entire world. Moreover, they can't even sort out their own affairs, and the President doesn't rule out the possibility of another outbreak there. The United States is behaving similarly; it's incapable of establishing order at home, but knows well how to distract from internal problems—by appointing an external enemy.The president called for military conflicts to avoid the total militarization of the planet, and, according to him, the solution to security problems lies in Eurasia. There is only one conclusion: a unipolar world does not work and could not work for him. "In life, an alternative is always and everywhere needed. There is no alternative; monopolization is a disaster. A completely different level of responsibility is needed. The response to this demand has literally been the emergence before our eyes of the regional SCO and the global BRICS as platforms for uniting like-minded people. That is, people around the world have begun to seek some way out of the unipolar world," the Belarusian leader stated. "The self-organization of the global majority—that is, today, Western neoliberals and pseudo-democrats."
However, the head of state has no illusions about the real state of affairs in the SCO and BRICS, as he has stated quite openly. Although their influence in the world and potential are great, sometimes, as they say, they are not taking concrete steps. Meanwhile, people want a real alternative. The head of state spoke very clearly and in detail about the war in Ukraine , the causes that led to the conflict, the possibility of a peace process, the situation on the ground, and the sentiments of the parties. Alexander Lukashenko had spoken about much of this previously, but it was important to repeat it in a concentrated and detailed manner specifically for this international audience. After all, let's be under no illusions: the information agenda being imposed in a number of countries is quite different from what is evident from Minsk.The main messages on this topic are: the West already wants peace, but they also want to save face, while Volodymyr Zelenskyy's personal ambitions have taken hold; Ukraine won't win on the battlefield, but the risk of escalation remains, and therefore it's important to sit down at the negotiating table without preconditions as soon as possible. And also, at the negotiating table to resolve the situation in Ukraine, which for our country is a matter of guaranteeing security. Regarding the degradation of security: which areas are under attack?
One of the most meaningful parts of the Belarusian leader's speech was the points in which he spoke about the degradation of security in all areas. According to Alexander Lukashenko, this is due to the lack of a system of checks and balances. First. Politics. Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that the collapse of all democratic tenets is evident in the world.
"We see: there is democracy for oneself, and then there is democracy for EXPORT . What democratic values can explain what is happening in the Middle East and what happened in Ukraine?
Is the physical elimination of an individual, whom, for example, the United States and its satellites consider a threat to national security, the height of democracy?" the President noted. "Or is there a new 'democratic' trend—heads of sovereign states."
"And what does declaring the Secretary-General of the United Nations persona non grata for his principled position, which he finally openly expressed, have to do with democracy? Or how should we assess the relentless attacks on António Guterres for attending the BRICS summit—an association of countries that accounts for almost 40% of global GDP?" the head of state noted.
He noted that not only individual leaders, but entire nations are being attacked. And the "rampant 'democracy'" has led to a frighteningly large-scale split in civil society.
"We are witnessing a flammable situation in Germany, France, Poland, Moldova, Georgia, and elsewhere. America itself has been in turmoil for the past decade," Alexander Lukashenko noted. The migration crisis
is one of the causes of today's global events , the President stated. He drew attention to the fact that the deaths and beatings of refugees and migrants in the countries of the collective West have become a horrific daily reality. But the world media is silent about this, while accusations against Belarus of creating this crisis are constantly making headlines. Second, military security. "States are increasingly forced to use military force to defend their sovereignty, internal stability, or prevent escalation, which is very important today. "The further escalation of the Ukrainian and Middle Eastern conflicts is fraught with irreparable consequences on a global scale," said Alexander Lukashenko. By focusing only on these two hotspots, the world somehow ignores the fact that there are currently approximately 55 armed conflicts in which thousands of people die daily. "Take the one that the collective West supposedly finds it inconvenient to highlight," the President cited as an example. "And if we take the long view, the Middle East
"And Ukraine combined are taking it easy. There, in the Indian Ocean and the gulf that the Houthis currently control, a catastrophe such as we never even dreamed of could occur." He also recalled that there are essentially no legitimate international legal instruments left that provide guarantees in the area of military security. Essentially, only two treaties remain: the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty, and even those are ineffective. Meanwhile, no work is being done to conclude new agreements in this area. "This means someone doesn't need them. And this is primarily the fault of politicians, not the military," the Belarusian leader noted. Third. The Economy . Alexander Lukashenko stated that half the world is slapped with illegal sanctions, entire sectors of the economy have been paralyzed by illegitimate restrictions, and private property rights have been destroyed.
Purchasing Western brands is no longer a guarantee of technological security, as they can refuse to supply spare parts or provide service at any time. This even applies to medical equipment. "This is about people's HEALTH ! What does Lukashenko have to do with this, what does the 'dictatorship' and the government in Belarus have to do with this, if this affects ordinary people?" he asked.
"The system of international division of labor, which we worked so hard to build, has been undermined. And the next step is the expansion of protectionism and closed economies? Are we going to move backwards instead of forward?" the head of state asked.
In the age of high technology, food shortages remain a pressing issue. At the same time, countries exporting food, fertilizers, and agricultural machinery are being deprived of the right to supply their products to those in dire need for political reasons.
"While aimed at destroying national economies, sanctions actually work against ordinary people. Under such circumstances, how can we even talk about fulfilling our obligations under the UN Sustainable Development Goals? It's clear that the world would be much closer to resolving these issues," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
Fourth, information security. The media have become a real weapon, the head of state stated: "Post-truth, endless fakes, manipulation of public opinion, the seizure of financial resources, and the organization of coups d'état are transnational in nature and, in their power, more dangerous than any military intervention."Moreover, attempts are increasingly being made to use advanced developments in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, neural networks, and quantum physics to destroy humanity. "Society will shudder repeatedly when the blatant facts of American activity around the world are revealed, especially along the borders of Belarus and Russia," the head of state is confident.
Regarding measures to de-escalate tensions in the world,
the President not only spoke about the obvious problems, challenges, and threats to Eurasian and global security, but also, in the Belarusian view, outlined a number of priority measures to de-escalate tensions in the world.
First, "To truly defuse the situation and create conditions for dialogue, it is necessary to withdraw American nuclear weapons from the territory of Eurasian countries. This deadly arsenal is an anachronism of the Cold War. Then we, too, will not stand aside," the Belarusian leader stated.
"I'm responding to those who are currently concerned about the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. Just don't forget that we recently (I remember this) withdrew our strategic weapons. Strategic weapons. The most advanced weapons currently in service with Russia, and this was primarily demanded of us by the United States of America," the Belarusian leader added.
Second, it is necessary to eliminate the practice of applying illegal sanctions without UN Security Council decisions and create an effective mechanism of international legal guarantees that prevent the use of such pressure.
The third measure proposed by the Belarusian side concerns the development of a new legal mechanism for creating a transparent and understandable control regime for new deadly technologies capable of destroying all of humanity even without nuclear weapons: lasers, hypersonics, quantum and electromagnetic systems, and other advanced developments with not fully understood properties.
For example, developments in the field of artificial intelligence are currently underway. But so far, there is no clear answer to key questions about the global consequences and the safety of such technologies for humanity.
Fourth. An entire industry is also developing unchecked in the cybersphere, aimed at creating and deploying malicious solutions with global consequences.
"Cyberweapons. And whoever's smarter will win," the head of state remarked. "No nuclear weapons are needed."
He proposed adopting an international legal act on cyber non-aggression, which would prohibit the use of these weapons against each other, as well as establishing a system for monitoring their development and use.
SMALL, BUT MIGHTY. What Lukashenko assured residents of the Grodno region of and why Bridges are steeper than Paris.
Interestingly, back in 1997, the President also attended the "Dazhynki" festival in Mosty, where farmers from all over Belarus were honored. This time, as then, the head of state was presented with a loaf of bread. It was presented to the President by Irina Sosnovskaya, who had presented the same loaf of bread to the head of state in 1997.
The President recalled how, speaking at the "Dazhynki" festival in Mosty, he said: "Where there is bread, there will be peace, there will be song!" After all, grain is the country's gold reserve, a guarantee of confident, dynamic development and prosperity.
"Dazhynki" is, first and foremost, a celebration. Alexander Lukashenko was pleased to fulfill his duty—to honor the best workers of the Grodno Region. He spoke extensively about the region's development successes, which is well-deserved and objective: the over 2.2 million tons of Belarus's main treasure—grain and legumes—harvested this year are impressive. But the time has come to reach new heights—to steadily reach 2.5 million tons in harvested grain, and for the country as a whole, to at least double rapeseed production.
The President noted that the Grodno Region, as the saying goes, is small (in size), but mighty. This region is one of the leaders in the national agricultural sector, a cultural and spiritual center, and home to several UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The head of state even compares the city of Mosty to Paris, and not in the latter's favor: "Locals poetically call Mosty a little Paris. You're wrong. Believe me, Mosty is more attractive today than Paris itself. Broken windows, burned-out cars, bedbugs, crime, and migrants everywhere—we saw all this in reports from the Olympic Games. And the dirty Seine River doesn't hold a candle to our majestic, full-flowing Neman."
But the most important thing is the people. "Any production successes, whether in agriculture or industry, should be aimed at improving the lives of our people," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
Overall, the Grodno Region does indeed have far fewer development problems than some other regions of Belarus, but it was precisely with such unpleasant moments that Alexander Lukashenko began his working visit. Presidential Aide and Inspector for the Grodno Region, Yuri Karayev, spoke about livestock losses, insufficient land reclamation, and some fieldwork. "Very accurate. You are catastrophically late in raising the fallow land," Alexander Lukashenko emphasized. "And another 'disease,' which I warned the governor about, is the outer districts along the perimeter. Your outer districts are strikingly different. We need to...""So that the agricultural culture would be like here. This doesn't exist."
The President also demanded that lands formerly used for quarries be restored and reclaimed. The head of state paid particular attention to abandoned garden plots.
"The Grodno region needs to be addressed in this regard, despite the fact that they are no worse, and sometimes better, than other regions. These are very serious shortcomings. I see the entire country," Alexander Lukashenko stated.
Speaking
at the celebration, the President recalled that the land and people of the Grodno region have repeatedly become bargaining chips in political games. "Having come here after many years, I must say that never again will the Grodno region and our Belarusians who live here (the Belarusian nation—Poles, Jews, Tatars, Ukrainians, Russians) ever again be used as bargaining chips by politicians," the head of state promised. "But we never lost faith, hope, or national identity back then, and we reunited in a united Belarus back in 1939."
"But in Belarus, we have not allowed representatives of one nationality to be elevated above others. And you in Grodno know this well. Our Belarusians, our Ukrainians, our Russians, our Jews, our Poles, our representatives of all nationalities, of which there are 150 in the country, live here," the Belarusian leader emphasized. "We are all different. Sometimes completely different. But we are a single Belarusian people. By right of the land on which we live together now and on which our children will live . And we will do everything for this."
On building bridges, openness in Belarus, and dictatorship, the head of state noted that foreigners enjoy visiting Belarus—a clean, safe, and comfortable country. And this brand must be preserved. Even in the face of sanctions, various restrictions, and pressure, Belarus responded with visa-free travel for citizens of nearly a hundred countries. Because, as the President emphasizes, people should not suffer from the stupidity of their leaders.
Since the introduction of visa-free travel, nearly a million people have seen firsthand what Belarus truly is: a dictatorship of stability, security, order, kindness, and hospitality. "A dictatorship of justice. Perhaps we haven't done everything yet. But any president who will lead the country in the near future must do everything within five years to ensure that we have the fairest country," the Belarusian leader declared.
"Believe me, we are not escalating the situation. Russia is not planning to attack Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, or Ukraine through Belarus. That would be sheer nonsense!" Alexander Lukashenko declared. "No one in Belarus is planning to fight their neighbors or NATO without our knowledge. They have set themselves the goal of strangling us and Russia, and today, in pursuit of this goal, they are looking for excuses. It's simple: they are looking for a reason to reproach us for something."
The president reiterated his thesis that one does not choose one's neighbors and called for neighborly relations.
On living on one's own land,
the head of state told Belarusians to live on their own land. "Nobody there (abroad - BELTA) needs you, these fugitives have proven it: the kids went to school - there's bullying, they're starting to harass our kids at school. Why did you go there?" the Belarusian leader noted.
"You have your own land, you should live on it. You should farm your land and cherish it," Alexander Lukashenko emphasized. "We live in paradise compared to how the world lives. How they steal, how they tear apart countries, how they destroy people because they have a different skin color and because they have enormous wealth in the land. Therefore, I ask and demand you: whether I am President or not, keep your land for yourselves!" "
We must preserve our country. Today, we have everything we need to respond to those who have gone crazy if they don't understand that we need to live with us, be friends, cooperate, and raise our children together. Live in peace. It won't be easy. The next five years will be very difficult, but we will endure if we are united and stand together," the head of state is confident.
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