Opinions & Interviews
Lukashenko lauds high living standards of sovereign Belarus
MINSK, 24 April (BelTA) – Belarusians have never had it so good, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he addressed the 7th Belarusian People's Congress in Minsk on 24 April, BelTA has learned.
“Belarusians are a strong nation,” the president said. “In order to maintain this status, we need to become even stronger. A strong economy, which is the result of the right geopolitical choice, is the main thing,” the head of state emphasized.
Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled the aphorism about the Soviet past, which was coined in the difficult 1990s: "Those who applauded liberal reforms (in our country too) and scolded the Soviet system, suddenly realized how well they lived."
"Let's honestly admit that we have never had it so good," the president said. “Of course, we could do better, but we do not have what Russia or the United Arab Emirates have [natural resources]. We acknowledge it and do not seek revolutionary transformations. It was not for this purpose that we moved the country away from the abyss a third of a century ago."
Now the real money incomes of Belarusians are 10 times higher than in the mid-1990s. "I know what the reaction to this thesis will be. Some will say that 10 times in 30 years is not that much. But I would like to emphasize that real incomes are supported by real opportunities to buy, save, and holiday," the head of state said.
According to the president, the growth of incomes was certainly restrained by sanctions. "Indeed, Belarusians would have had better chances without them, if we had embraced the West who introduced them against us. But not all of Belarusians. Only a few of them," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. "We did everything to prevent excessive stratification of society into rich and poor. Not everyone understands this, not everyone accepts it, but we did what we promised to the people. We did it! As best we could. And let them do better after us!"
When comparing the country’s starting positions and the results obtained, it becomes obvious that there are some things to be proud. "Knowing the geopolitical risks, measuring our geographical and resource capabilities with the efforts that we have made together, I am proud of our achievements," the president stressed.
The head of state admitted that the younger generation, who were born and grew up in prosperous Belarus, who did not know the life and difficulties of the 1990s, might not be touched by such an excursion into history: "And this is good. This means that we, the older generation, have something to present to the younger generation in the year of our 30th anniversary [of the institution of the presidency]. We did not just overcome the difficulties that fell on our shoulders. We did it quickly and efficiently. The generation of 30+ is sure that Belarusians have always lived exactly as they do now. Yes, we are happy that they have such a life. That's what we've been working for."
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