Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko invites leaders of other countries to attend Victory Parade in Minsk

MINSK, 5 May (BelTA) – We invite other heads of state to come to Minsk for the Victory Parade, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he talked to the media, BelTA has learned.

“I publicly invite leaders of all states, at least those of the former Soviet Union, to come to Minsk and to attend the parade,” the head of state said. "Let's hope that some leaders will come. If they do not, we will run the parade for ourselves, as usual. Here I am talking about the top-ranking officials. With respect to ordinary people there will be a lot of them from all the republics at this parade,” he said.

“Gathering in Minsk would be a right thing to do. Our republic was wiped out of the face of the earth during the war, was the first to take the blow. Surviving old people and children had to live in swamps, forests, dugouts for almost four years. Our republic was the worst hit, it is a living monument to that brutal war. It would be right to gather here, and even more so today,” the Belarusian leader stressed.

The president added that some will not come simply because they need to save their face, not because they are afraid of anything. “They have imposed quarantine measures, curfews [in some countries]. And, all of a sudden, they would go to Belarus?” he said.

The head of state suggested making it possible for a wide audience, particularly in Russia, to see the Belarusian parade. “We may ask the Russian television to broadcast our parade for the Russians. This is our brotherly nation,” he said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said that the pandemic is also used as a factor in big politics today. “We will see more of that once the pandemic is over,” the Belarusian leader added.

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