Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko shares insightful story from St. Petersburg summit

MINSK, 27 December (BelTA) – During the New Year’s Eve Ball for youth in the Palace of Independence Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko shared an insightful story from the latest summit in St. Petersburg, BelTA has learned.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “We still have time before the new year. Everyone is busy summing up the results, trying to catch up and fix shortcomings. I’d like to tell you one insightful story as I’ve understood it today.”

The head of state recalled that he had taken part in summits of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States in St. Petersburg the other day. “We were driving along St. Petersburg streets after the conference that the heads of state of the post-Soviet space usually hold in December. And [Kazakhstan President] Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who is a smart and talented man, looked around (St. Petersburg is a beautiful city, of course) and thoughtfully told Putin: ‘Listen, I feel as if I haven’t left’. I asked him what he meant by that. ‘It’s been a year but it feels as if we didn’t leave St. Petersburg last year. Time flies so fast.’ A year went by in the blink of an eye,” the president remarked.

During the New Year period all the people look forward to surprises and gifts, feel joy about the upcoming holidays, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. But there is a bit of sadness to it, the president remarked. “This is the prehistory I’ve just told you. Every year whatever we try to accomplish, whatever we think about surprises, we always say (some with sadness, some with joy): ‘It’s been another year’,” he said.

This ball was the first one for an overwhelming majority of its participants. But some previous participants of New Year’s Eve Balls were also present.

The head of state recalled how the history of New Year’s Eve Balls for the youth in the Palace of Independence had begun. Back in 2017 Austria representatives suggested holding a Vienna Opera Ball in the Palace of Independence. Vienna Opera Balls are classified as part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage and part of the world culture.

“I thought: are Belarusians worse than Austrians? A good, sensible nation. A beautiful country. The Vienna opera… But ours are better. Our people are good and talented. I thought it was a good idea to invite a bright and talented part of our society on these December evenings. It is certainly our girls. And we will shape up by that time: military personnel and civilians. Just beautiful men. And today I am glad that I made the decision back then. No, we are Belarusians, a beautiful nation of a beautiful country. We have beautiful girls. Men will be beautiful, too if they shape up. We will hold our own ball. And it will be called the New Year’s Eve Ball,” the president said.

Every young man and every young woman will definitely remember their participation in such a festive occasion. Moreover, the head of state always gives instructions to prepare commemorative souvenirs for participants of the ball: photos and video materials.

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