Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 11 September (BelTA) – Belarus has been developing dialogue with the West without compromising the relations with the East, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko told media on 11 September.

“To say that we have started a dialogue with the West at the expense of our Eastern brotherly nation is nonsense. There is no speaking about this. Our destiny is to be a bridge between the East and the West,” the Belarusian leader underlined.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that “the Slavonic people, including the Belarusians know they should live in peace and harmony with their neighbors. They have this knowledge in their DNA. We have a multi-vector foreign policy. I do not think that there is a Belarusian who will criticize the authorities for this. Because we are situated in the heart of Europe,” Alexander Lukashenko noted.

The President stressed that Belarus has its brothers in the East and will always stand by them. “We may have disagreements sometimes, but we will always stand by them. Because we are Slavonic people and have the same roots. This is my firm belief” said the Belarusian leader.

Cooperation with the West is also among Belarus’ priorities. Belarus needs to develop economy and trading relations. “In order to stay competitive, one needs modern technology, investment. They can be found both in the East and the West. Therefore, we are deeply interested in cooperation with both the sides. We learn a lot from them. They also find something to adopt from us. This is normal, this is life,” the head of state noted.