Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 26 December (BelTA) – Belarus cannot stand aside from the tragic events in Russia, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said in Minsk on 26 December, BelTA has learned.

“A terrible tragedy happened in Russia yesterday. Unfortunately, this sequence of tragedies was an ill fate for our brotherly nation: a big number of people died in Irkutsk from alcohol poisoning, Russia’s Ambassador was killed in Turkey, a massive loss of life was caused by the crash of the military plane carrying 92 people. Crew members, famous artists, mass media representatives, servicemen and civil servants, a doctor died in the plane crash. Of course, on this day we could not stand aside from these tragic events,” Alexander Lukashenko stressed.

The President remarked that the state flags are flown at half mast, entertainment events are abolished in Belarus in solidarity with the Russian nation. “There was a huge response to this tragedy from our people who visited the Russian embassy. I think that the number of people coming to the embassy will not decrease, so I want the law enforcement bodies to maintain public order near the embassy,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “The Book of Condolences was opened at the Russian embassy on 26 December. I am convinced that our civil servants and other people will respond and come to the embassy.”

The participants of the meeting with the head of state observed a minute of silence to commemorate the victims of the tragedy in Russia.