Lukashenko: live on your own land, no one needs you abroad
The Grodno Region is our Belarusian land, where our Poles, Jews, Russians and Belarusians should live, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko noted during today’s solemn ceremony honouring agricultural workers at the regional Dazhynki-2024 festival-fair in Mosty (Grodno Region)
The Head of State explained what guided him in making the decision to extend visa-free travel for foreigners. He recalled that at one time his first election campaign began on Grodno land, “I held the first meeting here and remember how our Poles, Belarusians, Russians, Ukrainians, Jews, Tatars asked me to make sure that they could move freely across the border. I was surprised. At that time, the alternative candidates included two pro-Western Poles by nationality: Zenon Poznyak and Stanislav Shushkevich. I asked you a question: it was your people who were in the leadership of the country, why didn’t they settle the issue? They promised, but failed. Then I swore to you that this trivial issue would be solved in the first year of my presidency. I did it. We have opened the border.”
The Belarusian leader recalled that after the collapse of the USSR, everything was ‘cut to pieces’, many ties fell apart, but we restored them. Therefore, when deciding on visa-free regime, as Aleksandr Lukashenko admits, he recalled that meeting with Grodno residents who asked to open the borders, “I’ve done everything. We are doing everything. We are not closing.”
The President underlined that it is necessary to ask others about this, “Many of you have channels of interaction with them, ask them. Ask the fugitives – your friends who in 2020 walked around the Grodno Region, hanging white-red-white flags. They are pursuing a different policy there, running around governments and shouting that it is necessary to strangle Belarus and impose new sanctions. It has come to the point that our businessmen who can enter Poland and other countries are intercepted there and money is demanded from them. What is the money needed for? So that they [the fugitives] can live there normally in order to fight against the ‘dictatorship of Belarus’.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that he has the right to ask people this, “You ask me, you always demand something from me. As president, I have the right to ask you this question. Although this was not necessary before the election… But it’s not about the election. The election will end soon, and you and I have a long time to live. Therefore, I tell you straightforwardly: live on your land, no one needs you there [abroad]. These fugitives have proved it.”
The Belarusian leader cited examples of how children of those who left face school bullying, and specialists cannot get a normal job.
“Why did you go there? You have your own land. You have to live on your land and cherish it. Times have changed. Even back then, before 1939, we were not our own masters there, and now even less so,” the Head of State reasonably noted.
He added that those who wish can return to Belarus, but who violated the law and betrayed the country will have to be held accountable. The Head of State underlined that regardless of whether he will be president, Belarusians should know, “We will not give the Grodno Region to anyone. This is our Belarusian land, where our Poles, Jews, Russians and Belarusians should live.”
