Lukashenko gives interview to Belarusian, foreign mass media

The meeting of the head of state with journalists took place at the Palace of Independence.

Partaking in the meeting were First Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Second National TV Channel Dmitry Bochkov, First Deputy Director General of the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Andrei Kondrashov, political observer of Channel One Russia Natalya Polikarpova, Chairman of the Board of the National Television News Agency Khabar Yerlan Bekkhozhin, producer and project editor of Moldova's TV channel Accent TV Yuliya Belyanskaya, editor-in-chief of the TV channel 112 Ukraine Pavel Kuzheyev.

“These meetings are traditionally a major channel of conversation with multi-million audiences, and an opportunity to outline positions on concerning issues, to think and to get a certain response,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The president also emphasized that this is an opportunity “to reach out those who did understand the essence of the present moment due to some reasons.” “These include our foreign friends who sometimes do not assess the situation in Belarus and its place in the international community correctly,” he added.

The head of state expressed confidence that the conversation will be a substantial and honest one. He also expressed readiness to answer all questions of journalists. “There are no closed topics in the today's conversation,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.

The meeting lasted for about four hours. The participants touched upon a wide range of issues. They discussed the current social and political situation in Belarus, international relations. In particular, special attention was drawn to the cooperation with countries where the journalists came from.

The head of state answered all topical questions, opined on the debated constitutional amendments in the country, disclosed causes of certain actions.