Opinions & Interviews

ORSHA DISTRICT, 16 April (BelTA) – Belarus will be able to overcome emerging difficulties and this year will be the turning point in that regard. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement as he visited the Transfiguration Church in the town of Baran, Orsha District, Vitebsk Oblast on 16 April, BelTA has learned.

The president stated: “We can do anything. We will be able to handle and overcome the difficulties we’ve just talked about. These difficulties originate from outside the country more often than not. We have no other way out. This year will be the turning point.”

Alexander Lukashenko thanked the clergy and Metropolitan Pavel for the hard work in the name of the Belarusian people and its neighbors.

In the Orthodox temple on behalf of the largest religious confession in Belarus the head of state suggested sending greetings to Catholic Christians, who also celebrated Easter on that day. “It is truly a great and luminous holiday regardless of attempts to erase it from our history. Even recent attempts that failed because the entire nation has always looked forward to these days with the greatest respect and spiritual vigor,” noted the Belarusian leader.

In turn, Archbishop of Vitebsk and Orsha Dimitry underlined the importance of preserving true values and resorting to faith, particularly in view of the many hardships the world has seen recently. He thanked Alexander Lukashenko and the country’s leadership as a whole for efforts to maintain good relations and collaboration between the state and the church, and for preserving peace and accord in Belarus.