The first union gathering “We are for active longevity” in Vitebsk brought together more than a thousand participants

"The Republic of Belarus was chosen not by chance. Since 2021, the country has been implementing the national strategy "Active longevity - 2030." Today, there is an opportunity to share lessons learned from successful implementation of this strategy. For the older generation, all restrictions on the labor market have been lifted. The working pensioner does not lose his earned pension, it is paid in full. We see how our older generation participates in a socialized society, with more than 1,000 senior citizens' councils established. More than 6,000 people are involved in the so-called silver volunteer squads, which help to develop the skills they have themselves, just as they do with some household items. And it is important that today almost a third of the elderly population are involved in physical education, and this also helps them to remain active, healthy for a long enough period of time, - said the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus Andrey Lobovich.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation. More than a thousand participants gathered in Vitebsk - experts, representatives of public administration bodies in the fields of social protection, health care, physical culture and sports of Belarus and the Russian Federation, representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Standing Committee of the Federal State. The event will last three days." These three days will be filled with various events - dialogue platforms where our citizens can share their best practices in implementing the national strategy of Belarus and the Russian Federation. According to the results of the meeting, it is planned to adopt a resolution that will reflect the recommendations we will discuss during these three days," - Andrey Lobovich added.

He also reported that a decision has been made for the gathering to become a traditional one and to be held at least once every two years, alternately in Belarus and Russia.

"Prolonging the active and healthy life of the older generation is today a national task for both Russia and Belarus. Therefore, the platform for the first gathering on active longevity, which has opened today in Vitebsk, truly plans to become a traditional one in the future," said Olga Batalina, First Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation.

In Russia, there is a national project "Family", which includes a separate project called "Older generation", and a strategy for action on behalf of older citizens until 2030. Active longevity programs are being implemented in each of our 89 regions, and there are already 15.5 million older citizens participating nationwide. Of course, the work is not just programmatic. There are sufficiently serious guarantees for elderly citizens in the labor market, and a system of social services is being developed. We are advancing our forward-looking care system and continuing to build new social facilities. We really do have something to learn from each other," said Olga Batalina.

She added that today, social isolation and loneliness are among the main factors, unfortunately, contributing to premature aging. "Therefore, our task is to do everything possible to ensure that the older generation, which has made a colossal contribution to the development of our countries, truly has decent conditions for an active and healthy life," Olga Batalina emphasized. She clarified that in terms of active longevity, men follow women. After all, the health of the entire family largely depends on the woman, because she is the "guardian" and involves all her loved ones in undergoing medical examinations and taking care of their health. In the context of active longevity, the number of men is increasing, as one of the key areas of activity is sports, as well as social tourism.

"Within the framework of the Union State, the main area of interaction between the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation and our colleagues in Belarus is the implementation of mutually agreed social policies. We regularly hold joint panels where we exchange innovations in social legislation, finalize, and try to make sure that the legislation in our countries develops in a synchronized manner, so that citizens of Russia and Belarus have symmetrical social guarantees on the territory of their countries", - Olga Batalina added.