Kochanova: Russian is not a foreign language for Belarus’ population, it’s also our national heritage

Of course, Russian is not a foreign language for the population of the Republic of Belarus; this is our national treasure, too. Over the course of their centuries-old history, Belarusians have made a significant contribution to its development and enriched it – as stated by Chairperson of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova at the 56th plenary meeting of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly (IPA) in Bishkek.

She underlined, “The President of the Republic of Belarus, respected Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko, spoke about the importance of the Russian language at a meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council in Bishkek: ‘The Russian language is not Russia’s language. It’s our common language. We lived as one country for a long time. Proceeding from the concept that a language is alive and creatively developing, we were engaged into the development of the Russian language together. It has a part of Azerbaijanis, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and so on – not only Russians and Belarusians’. Thanks to the Russian language, we have the opportunity for larger-scale and direct contacts in the fields of education, science, culture, and art. We’re expanding the intellectual and information horizons of fruitful co-operation with fraternal peoples, promoting the ideas of good neighbourliness and peacefulness. Unfortunately, these simple and understandable guidelines are not held in high esteem everywhere. There is a negative trend when the Russian language is used as a target for political, cultural and moral suppression of the Russian-speaking population. And this cannot but worry us.”

The CIS member states declared 2023 the Year of the Russian Language as a Language of Interethnic Communication. According to the speaker of the Council of the Republic, it’s symbolic that today’s IPA plenary meeting is marked with this theme.

“The great Russian language is a powerful unifying principle for millions of people, an important factor in Eurasian integration and the common heritage of all peoples of the CIS,” added Natalya Kochanova. “As the Belarusian leader said: ‘To lose the Russian language today is to lose one’s own history, modernity and future. We have never given up on it and will never give up on it. Moreover, we will always fight for it’.”