Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko names spaceflight historic victory for sovereign Belarus

MINSK, 11 April (BelTA) – The spaceflight of sovereign Belarus’ first cosmonaut is a historic victory for the country and its people who deserve it, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a ceremony to honor the Belarusian cosmonauts, BelTA has learned.

Cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya, a citizen of Belarus who flew to the International Space Station, was part of the international crew that comprised Roscosmos cosmonaut, a native of Belarus, crew commander Oleg Novitsky and NASA astronaut from the United States Tracy Dyson.

“Marina was between two empires – the Russians, the most advanced nation in space, and the Americans. You understand, this is not just about an image. This is the greatest victory for our country. Our people deserve it,” the president emphasized. Aleksandr Lukashenko assured that Belarus will continue developing space technologies: “We will do everything, and we will achieve a lot more.”

In particular, this topic will be raised during the upcoming visit of the Belarusian president to Russia and his negotiations with President Vladimir Putin that are scheduled for 12 April, which is marked as Cosmonautics Day. “We will discuss everyday affairs, the future, the development of our cosmonautics,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

“Some people, especially abroad, talk nonsense and say: “Look, Lukashenko threw Marina into space, we don’t need that”... We need that. We are a space country,” the head of state emphasized. The flight of the Belarusian cosmonaut in close cooperation with Russia became possible thanks to Belarus’ space solutions and technologies. “Had Belarus not promoted its space industry, no one would have talked to us. No one would have suggested that we fly into space,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.

The president emphasized that Belarus can do a lot for space. For example, in the coming years Belarus, jointly with Russia, will launch into orbit a modern high-resolution satellite that will make it possible to clearly see matchbox-sized objects on Earth from space. “These are the most sophisticated technologies,” said the head of state. The same applies to nuclear energy and biotechnology, electric transport. “We have made significant progress here. The main thing is to maintain momentum,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

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