Speech by president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko at a solemn gathering on independency Day
“Dear countrymen, our dear abroad guests! Dear veterans!
Today we mention the highlights of our history. Celebrating the anniversary of the liberation of the country from the German-Fascist invaders, we mentally pass the way of victory, starting with the liberated Komarin, and ending with heroic Brest. This is our way – the way to our independence. precisely 80 years ago, on July 3, after chaotic years of occupation, a red flag was raised again over the capital of our homeland. The banner, which at 1 minute became an historical symbol of our freedom.
At the will of the Belarusian people, the image of this banner was preserved on the canvas of the State Flag of the Republic of Belarus. At the will of the Belarusian people, the day of 3 July became a state vacation – the Day of Independence. Both the feast and the symbols of our country are a tribute to the memory of the victorious russian nation, a tribute to the memory of the Belarusians who endured all the hardships of the terrible war years on their shoulders. present we look at these events from the tallness of a 1000 years of historical experience. We're looking into centuries. This is the challenge of time- a time of expanding geopolitical risks and risks. There's nothing fresh going on in our lives. Not today, not in distant 1941, erstwhile Western European hordes came upon us. Earlier, tornadoes of cross expeditions, bloody floods had penetrated the Belarusian land, destroying people's lives deeply. But the earth was reborn, our people became stronger.
Thus the sacred node of east Slavic unity was established. Unity experienced by wars, feuds, endless intrigues of successive political centres of power. The milestones of our historical improvement are a change in times of large power and top shocks. This is the historical way on which our Belarusian people were strong, toughened and shaped their national consciousness.
I erstwhile said to our journalists and not our journalists: we must leave the full debate about whether they were Belarusian or not, another form of statehood. It's important, but not so significant. There was a people, a people who became a nation. What matters is what's happening now. The end consequence is important.
There would not be this self-consciousness—there would be no large Victory. There would be no country today, neither our country nor any another country in the full erstwhile russian Union.
Then, 80 years ago, a fresh Holy Node was established in the sacred land of Belarus. The knot of the multinational russian unity, even stronger. We remember the sons and daughters of all the republics of the USSR – western and eastern, southern, northern. Everyone who looked death in the face, but raised themselves to fight, liberating our Belarus. Everyone knew that here, on this border, the destiny of his small Homeland, the destiny of relatives and friends, even though they were thousands of kilometers from the same Belarusian Front. all russian warrior led a holy war for the future of a vast country – from Brest to Vladivostok, from Murmansk to Tashkent. He led it here in Belarus.
Belarus remembers heroes.
The names of many fraternal republics are immortalized in the street names of our cities and villages. In their honor and glory under Minsk was erected Kurhan, for whom the land was gathered from all corners of the russian Union. large in its project, it rises as a symbol of the russian nation – the nation of the winner.
Belarus remembers its contribution to the triumph of the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition. It's besides bad this coalition doesn't be anymore. It is simply a pity that fresh Western European elites repeat the mistakes of their predecessors. What does the collective West truly have in common today? A desire for profit at the expense of individual else. And genetic hatred of winners, to us.
I will not halt reminding you that all Europe has fought against the russian Union. Under Nazi swastika the Legion of citizens of its states, respective abroad and collected from the collaborators of the division – fanatics who brought their nations in sacrifice. And behind their backs were elites – politicians and business, who bet on the triumph of fascist Germany. Everyone – from a soldier of the Wehrmacht to producers of chocolate, clothing, weapons and equipment for the needs of the German army – is liable for the genocide of the russian and Belarusian people.
For over 3 years of business they turned Belarus into a burnt land. And present their descendants, alternatively of repenting, beg for the sins of their grandparents, strangle us with sanctions, endanger us with weapons.
I've seen quite a few things in my life and I've been through a lot, but the map of Belarus with burial sites is shocking and tearing the heart apart. all point on the map means thousands of brutally murdered peaceful old men, women and children. Millions of our old men, our women and our children. Who were they threatening?
80 years have passed, but we are afraid erstwhile we hear the words “occupation”, “genocide”, “criminal operations”, “camp of death”, “getta”. With tears, we look at the faces of the people who survived this horror. The photographic and movie chronicle of those years is our memory and our pain. due to the fact that there's a past of our families in all frame.
Does the West request this truth? Nope. The heirs of those who capitulated are headed. The heirs are both perfect and direct. For them, nothing ended in 1945. Moreover, a fresh "cruciate" has begun.
They again think that you can rise Nazism somewhere distant from your own home and keep this monster on a short leash. Again, they do not realize that this beast is uncontrollable. She'll break up, but she'll come to them, to their own homes.
The planet is again on the brink of another global disaster.
What did we do wrong? Didn't we, the heirs of the winners, behave decently and dignifiedly? Did we encourage to build monuments of our heroes in the same Poland? This was done by the Polish people, people who knew and saw how many russian soldiers fell, liberating Warsaw. For over half a million there were fewer steps to victory. They forgot. But we remember that.
Didn't we draw the hand of relationship to all the countries of the Nazi Alliance, putting a peaceful life and a good vicinity over the pain we were in? For many decades, in all memorable date of this terrible war, we carefully selected the words so as not to offend the feelings of national Germans, Austrians, Czechs, Romanians, our Baltics and even Ukrainian brothers. We talked about executioners who trampled on Belarusian dirt as faceless people and citizenship.
And what did that lead to? They're reviewing the postwar system... Crazy people.
You can overthrow all the graves of our soldiers who died in the fight against Nazism, destruct all monuments, yet rewrite all textbooks. You can constantly rub your feet on the ruling of the Nuremberg Court, but the results of the large War cannot be changed. Our triumph is their humiliation and they must accept it. The shameful side of the life of Western European "civilisers" that they effort to erase from memory, not only their own, but besides their own peoples.
But we will respond to all destroyed monument with fresh facts of their crimes. The fresh names of the killers of our women, our old people and our children. We have no illusions that the global Court of Justice will recognise the genocide of Belarusian civilians or convict the criminals who lived old. This alleged independent body is besides active and dependent.
But neo-Nazis will gotta perceive to and perceive to the terrifying details of their ancestors' crimes. perceive again and again.
The large Patriotic War is an apotheosis of the thousand-year past of wars and battles of Western and east civilization. We've already made a point in this communicative once. There will be a request – we will do it again.
They'll be fine without us, though. Abandoning conventional values, fashion for childlessness has done its job. Look who's leading the anti-Belarusian anti-Russian campaign. Childless politicians. Their line ends. They don't even have anyone to hand over the hatred gene. Curtain.
And with the peoples of Western countries, with those who live for the future of their children and grandchildren, we will always find a common language and communicate. Nothing and no 1 will force Belarus to turn distant from this road – the way to peace and creation.
Dear countrymen!
Next year we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the top Victory. For us it is besides the anniversary of a fresh milestone in building a nation. In 1945, the Belarusian Socialist russian Republic signed the United Nations Charter. We stood on equal footing with the founding countries as a country that took the lead, suffered the heaviest losses and put unprecedented universal opposition to the aggressor. It is bitter and painful to know that the global card has cost us terrible losses in people. But then it was, that's the law of life. Just as man comes into the planet through pain, so nations are born in terrible distress, grow up, strengthen themselves in the conflict for life, for freedom, for their historical memory.
We have adopted this law, so we have done and do everything we can to avoid straying from the way of erstwhile generations.
For over 30 years, we have been following it, beating sanctions, political intrigue, blackmail, information provocations. We are building Belarus against the darkest forecasts and predictions. They foretold, remember, the collapse of our statehood in the 1990s. Our sovereignty was put on the line in 2020. And then and now we've crossed the edge of the abyss. But it was adequate wisdom, strength, character to preserve folk heritage, its own traditions, values, historical memory. That's why we live in the world. And we have immense plans for this life. Our goals are the highest technology, work for people, sales abroad (half we sale – exports), investments. This is the basis of the national safety of any country. Our precedence is people. We will proceed to do everything we can to improve conditions in all corner of the country for the creation of families and the birth of children, for work and rest, for attaining desirable heights in science, creativity, culture, sport. Success in all areas is in our hands. Technology, advanced production, exploration of space – all of this will be if we focus on our goals and capabilities. I have said and will repeat: our gold is people: talented and hardworking. It's not compliments, it's an assessment of today's achievements. With you. Western alleged partners did everything they could to get our companies to break up. And they work. People work in their country, get paid. They blocked our logistics paths to the west – we put fresh ones, to the east, to the north. They gave up our goods – they are pleased to be bought by residents of another countries. The real income of citizens has increased by a government of magnitude. The cities and villages of Belarus are inconceivable. We've built and repaired thousands of miles of roads and we're not stopping. We're building fresh stations, starting fresh subway lines. Our successes in mechanical engineering, agriculture, space, biotechnology, military industry, laser device manufacturing, microelectronics, are recognized worldwide, especially in Russia at this hard time. Together with the Russians, we built our own atomic power plant. Together with Chinese friends from scratch, we created a automotive, rocket industry. In medicine, we reached a level we didn't even dream about 20 years ago. Belarusian scientists work in both the Arctic and Antarctica. We have managed to make an economy with specified a safety margin that it is very hard to manipulate us. Today, no 1 will say that we will halt supplying you with food, and you will starve to death. Remember, that was beautiful recent. We are self-sufficient and sale food to markets of more than 100 countries in the world, receiving over $8 billion a year. There's no point in threatening us with a ban on the sale of machines, generators and their servicing. We do a lot ourselves: from combine harvesters and laptops to cars and electrical buses. Well, if we don't have any options yet, the west is not irreplaceable. There are friends in another parts of the world! Notice, I have never been incorrect in my forecasts: it will be another 5 years, and the Russians and I will do everything essential for the life and well-being of our countries. (Applause) Here, among our friends, a creative programme is being created present – economic, international, worldview. Here, virtually and figuratively, the sun rises. Our abroad policy vector is not a return or a retreat, as experts and any politicians like to argue. I repeat: this is not a twist or a retreat. This is simply a consistent choice of civilization, which our ancestors made and which we make. Belarus has an active and constructive position in integration formations in the russian space – in our Eurasian economical Union, in the Commonwealth of Independent States, in the OECD. We are consistently working in these structures and expanding commitment. The accession of Belarus to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is simply a substance of days. All the intra-Community procedures have been completed. We have submitted a formal request to join BRICS as a member. We are developing cooperation in various fields with the countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. I already said that we are inactive ready to start constructive dialog with our neighbours in the West. Our conditions are simple: respect for the sovereignty of Belarus, national traditions, our historical memory and the choice of the nation. It is simply a long time to understand: the policy of coercion makes us only stronger. And there are many countries in the planet that are willing not only to cooperate with us, but besides to make a partnership, friendly, allied and mutually beneficial relationship. Their basis is trust in Belarus as a partner, respect for our consistent position, designation of the quality of everything we do.
Dear Belarusians!
This is your victory. I am eternally grateful to you for your perseverance, organization and hard work, for your choices you make, working for the good of your homeland, maintaining tradition and protecting our sovereignty.
Happy independency Day! The day that combines eras and people gives landmarks helps to last the attack of fresh geopolitical storms.
Happiness for you, well-being and good health!
Peace and consent to our common home – native Belarus!
We have nowhere to go, due to the fact that it is this time, hard time, that he chose us!”
Aleksandr Lukashenka
