"Hazel tree" and sanctions: the President of Belarus outlined the main guidelines

The All-Belarusian National Assembly has opened in Minsk. President Alexander Lukashenko spoke about the key achievements and challenges that the state has faced in recent years. He paid special attention to the confrontation with the European Union, the development of allied relations with Russia and dialogue with the United States. In conclusion, he called himself the "outgoing president," warning: "If I'm wrong about something, elections are coming soon." The main statements of the Belarusian leader are in the material of Izvestia.

Appeal to the people

The meeting of the Council of National Assembly was opened by President Alexander Lukashenko. He began his speech by discussing the foreign policy agenda. "The West did not take into account one thing: the world is huge, no one will dance to the neocolonial tune anymore. The Global South and Asia have become a new reality," the Belarusian leader stressed.

According to him, Brussels' attempts to isolate Minsk have failed: the republic has become one of the 50 most visited countries in the world. "250,000 Europeans arrived without a visa. And this is with more than half of the border crossings closed," the head of state said.

Next, Lukashenko focused on the country's role in global politics. According to him, three centers of power have formed in the world today — China, Russia and the United States. "I believe that the fourth pillar can be called the EU. However, given the internal discord and hysterical demands, this pole may collapse. India is becoming the new center of attraction," he said, adding that Minsk is building partnerships with all these countries.

Separately, Lukashenko praised the implementation of joint import substitution projects with Russia: from microelectronics and aircraft manufacturing to localization of production of automotive components and assemblies. In addition, according to him, on December 17, the Russian Oreshnik missile system was put on combat duty in the country.

According to the president, in his dialogue with the United States, he invariably emphasizes: "For Belarusians, Russians are a close and native people."

The Belarusian opposition, which left the country after the 2020 protests, was also not ignored. The President criticized the "plan for the revival of the Belarusian economy" promoted by his opponents. "In fact, this is a rejection of the sovereignty of Belarus and the destruction of its economy under external control. Nothing has changed for many years: the same struggle for chairs, positions and financial handouts," he said.

As for the main instructions to the government: communication services in the country should become more accessible, it is necessary to stop the mass death of livestock, seeds and chickens should be purchased only from domestic producers, not Western ones. Another goal is for young people to stay in the regions and get a job there, rather than heading to Minsk.

In addition, Lukashenko addressed the delegates of the National Assembly, calling them a stabilizer of the social system.: "I'm not eternal. Yes, we have created a system, a lot is hanging on the president. Thank you for supporting me. If there wasn't this support, there wouldn't be much in the country! But I'm the outgoing president, I can't be president forever, and I don't need to be."

Historical scale

The VNS was established on the personal initiative of President Alexander Lukashenko back in 1996. The main task of this body was to demonstrate that the head of state takes into account the opinion of the people. In 2022, the VNS received the status of a permanent body and was enshrined in the Constitution.

Traditionally, delegates include deputies, government officials, judges, education workers, and budget organizations. Alexander Shpakovsky, a member of the National Assembly and a member of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, told Izvestia about the key features of the current meeting.

— Without a doubt, it can be called an event of historical scale, — the delegate noted. — At least because for the first time in the history of the country, the program of socio-economic development of the state will be approved in the format of the All-Belarusian National Assembly. Let me remind you that the VNS is the highest authority of the people in the country, and its competence includes the review and approval of long-term strategic planning documents.

Sergey Rekeda, director of the Center for the Study of Integration Prospects, also noted in a conversation with Izvestia that it is quite difficult to identify any fundamentally new accents this year, since the range of topics discussed is very wide.

— But, of course, the important question was how Minsk would survive in the conditions of the modern geopolitical storm. This year, the focus has shifted from the political plane to the economic and security spheres. This is due, on the one hand, to the proximity and development of the Ukrainian conflict, and on the other, to the broader context of the global restructuring of international systems," the expert emphasized.

According to him, Lukashenko does not act situationally in this situation, but systematically. The country traditionally builds political cooperation with those states with which there is an economic benefit.

— China is of great importance for Minsk's foreign policy, as are the countries of the so-called far arc, whose importance is gradually increasing. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation occupies a special position. This is, one might say, a characteristic feature of the Belarusian president: Russia and its inhabitants are not strangers to him, but very close and kindred people," the analyst pointed out..

As for the vision of Belarus for the next five years, it can already be said that sharp shocks should not be expected, the Speaker continues. According to him, Belarus is a welfare state, in the budget structure of which considerable attention is paid to the support of the population.

— This is an economy in which, figuratively speaking, the "small man" is of great importance. At the same time, Minsk relies on industrial cooperation, including with Moscow, on energy resources received from Russia on preferential terms. At the same time, it focuses on the development of high technologies. The country strives to implement these high—tech areas, relying primarily on the Russian Federation and China," said Requeda.