Lukashenko says Belarus needs work, stability and strong economy

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday, August 15, that a commitment to work and strengthening the country was essential to maintaining stability in Belarus.

He made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the international festival of ethnocultural traditions, Call of Polesie, in the agricultural town of Lyaskovichi in the Gomel region.

“We will do everything to ensure there is peace. We do not want to go to war. Why? Because Belarus is a common home, where everyone lives — representatives of different nationalities and faiths — and they live normally,” Lukashenko said, according to the Belarusian news agency BelTA.

Lukashenko also drew attention to the situation in the wider region, contrasting it with what he described as Belarus’ relative stability.

“Look at what is happening around us. In terms of religious and national hatred. It is frightening to think about. We are calm. It was not me — you did everything to ensure that people could live peacefully on this small piece of land, around which everything is ablaze,” he said.

“We will live peacefully if we do not take what belongs to others and put it in our pockets, if we work and strengthen our country. The main thing is the economy. That is why I always tell you: give me just one thing — the economy, and everything else is up to me,” Lukashenko added.

By Tamilla Hasanova