Ambassador: A nation united by a common goal fears no challenges or threats

The Day of People’s Unity received its official status relatively recently. It was established by a decree of the Belarusian president on 7 June 2021. “But it has deep historical roots and for decades has been perceived by Belarusians as a truly national, all-people's holiday,” Aleksandr Rogozhnik said.

17 September is of particular importance in the history of Belarusian statehood, he added. In 1939, as a result of the liberating campaign of the Red Army, the Belarusian people were reunified. The historical injustice of the 1921 Treaty of Riga was eliminated; that treaty had granted a significant portion of indigenous Belarusian lands, along with the population living there, to Poland.

“For a long 18 years, Western Belarus was under Polish oppression. The persecution of the Orthodox Church, attempts to destroy the native language and centuries-old culture, forced Polonization, political repressions, economic devastation - these were the results of the occupation policy carried out on our land. It is no accident that the local residents of Western Belarus met the arriving Red Army soldiers with tears of joy in their eyes,” he said.

The ambassador noted that in difficult conditions, Belarus has not only endured but continues moving forward confidently, demonstrating to the whole world the success of its political and socio-economic model. “Today, we are actively developing all branches of mechanical engineering, electric power, biotechnology, the agricultural sector, and regional infrastructure, relying on the most advanced technologies. The foundation of such successes undoubtedly lies in the achieved unity of the Belarusian people, their cohesion around President Aleksandr Lukashenko and the domestic and foreign policy he pursues. The events of recent years have clearly shown that a people united by a common goal fear no challenges or threats,” Aleksandr Rogozhnik emphasized.