Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko: Belarus wants to be known for its peaceful initiatives

MINSK, 1 February (BelTA) – Belarus wants to be a country that puts forward only peaceful initiatives, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he heard out a report by Chairman of the State Border Committee Anatoly Lappo on 1 February, BelTA has learned.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that in 2020 the state had to pay special attention to security matters. To some, this might have seemed like saber rattling. “Nothing of the kind. We have never done this and are not going to do it. We want to remain an island of security in Europe and a country that puts forward only peaceful initiatives. This is how we see it,” the president said.

The head of state emphasized that Belarus is forced to respond to challenges and threats. “History teaches us that we should always be ready to respond to any provocation,” he said. “I would like to reiterate that we are responsible not only for Belarus, but also for Russians. I must admit that our border guards protect their zone of responsibility like no one else in the world. We are fully aware that the border is a mirror, a face of any state. I insist that no other country protects its state border like Belarus does. We must keep it up,” the president said.

After hearing out the report, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko approved the resolution on the protection of the state border in 2021.

According to the State Border Committee, the situation on the Belarusian border in 2020 remained stable and manageable, with no threats to border security identified. The pandemic-related restrictions and increased border protection have led to a decrease in illegal activities.

“At the same time, the risks and challenges to the Belarusian border security associated with illegal migration, smuggling and attempts of radical individuals to cross the border remained. Belarus continued to be used for the transit of illegal migrants from disadvantaged regions to the EU countries,” the committee said.

The border service uncovered and suppressed 12 channels of drug trafficking and identified 45 persons suspected of involvement in extremist activities. However, the total number of violators of the legislation on the state border has decreased by more than a half - from 4,000 in 2019 to 1,800 in 2020.

The introduction of digital queuing at the Bruzgi checkpoint was completed in 2020. Together with the State Customs Committee, the Urbany checkpoint on the Belarus-Latvia border has been upgraded and revamped, the work in underway at the Verkhny Terebezhov checkpoint on the border with Ukraine, which is scheduled to be completed in March 2021. In addition to that, the work on transferring certain functions of border guards to the customs services is in progress at the checkpoints of Novaya Rudnya, Kotlovka, Mokrany and Svisloch.

“A lot of work is being done by the border services to combat the spread of coronavirus infection and to prevent its import from foreign states. Border guards, together with employees of sanitary and quarantine points identify persons showing symptoms of the dangerous infection and hand over papers containing a self-isolation requirement to those who arrive from the countries of the red zone. In 2020, about four million vehicles and around nine million persons crossed the border. The decrease in the number of border crossings is primarily attributed to the border crossing restrictions imposed by neighboring states,” the committee informed.

Among the main tasks for 2021, the State Border Committee named the improvement of engineering and technical equipment at the border, and the proximity of unit deployment. Construction of signaling complexes and installation of automated technical observation posts for reliable control of protected areas will continue.

For example, the monitoring center set up at the Khoiniki border checkpoint allows remote control of over 100 kilometers of the border with Ukraine with the help of various security and surveillance systems. This year its capabilities will increase several times. There are plans to complete the designation of the Belarus-Ukraine border from the side of Belarus within Lelchitsy District of Gomel Oblast.

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