Open and frank conversation

The President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, has visited the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (BSUIR) in Minsk — this event continued the Head of State’s communication with students in the Open Microphone with the President format 

BELTA

Prior to the meeting, an exhibition of scientific and innovative achievements from the technical universities of Minsk was demonstrated to Aleksandr Lukashenko. BSUIR, in particular, collaborates with the defence sector of the Belarusian economy. The President enquired whether the university could assist in developing a high-precision and interference-resistant missile.
Discussing another development by the university’s scientists, Aleksandr Lukashenko highlighted the need not to fall behind in the field of unmanned transport technologies. The conversation then shifted to the students of engineering and technical universities of Minsk at the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics. The Head of State admitted that, as President, he is primarily concerned about the accessibility of higher education.
Aleksandr Lukashenko revealed the reason for his meeting with students, 

“I want to speak openly and honestly with you about the topics that concern you, because you are the future of our country, however cliché that may sound. This has always been the case — youth represents the future of our nation, and it is crucial to understand your mindset and what you think about the future.

You have come here to ask your questions to the President, and I am here to meet you, understand you, form my own opinion, and find an answer to the most pressing question for me today: who will continue our contemporary history, the history of sovereign Belarus?”
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that present-day politicians, representing the constructive majority of the world, echo the same narrative: the world is on the brink of a new global war. “I often say: Belarus is a patch of land. This is not a definition of the territorial scale of our country. It is about the vastness of the world, where no one needs us but us. Trust my experience. However, if we look at it through the lens of the geopolitical interests of other countries, we will see a different picture,” the Head of State underscored. 
The President pointed out that one Belarus in terms of area is equivalent to six territories of Belgium, five territories of the Netherlands, or more than two and a half territories of Austria or the Czech Republic. “We have both forests and marshes — the lungs of Europe, a source of oxygen. Belarus is rich in cultivated fields and water — the resources that will be worth their weight in gold in the future, because not every European country possesses such reserves, nor do they all preserve them as we do,” stated the Belarusian leader.
The Head of State reminded the attendees that during the First World War, German forces shamelessly plundered Belarusian territories, and following the partition of Belarus in 1921, Poland did the same. “They blatantly exported peat, timber, and food from our land via narrow-gauge railways, while Belarusians were starving,” the President added. “The main thing, however, is that we stand on the way to Russia which is considered by Western countries to be unprecedentedly and unjustly rich in these and other resources. We do not have to talk further about the political and sanction-laden onslaught from the collective West directed at us and Russians. Resources are the number one issue. 
Today, the situation is such that the West possesses cutting-edge technologies that neither Russia nor Belarus have in certain areas. Technologies exist, but they require resources to manufacture finished products, including unmanned aerial vehicles, artificial intelligence-based products, and so on. Resources are essential, particularly sources of rare earth metals. Where are they concentrated? Primarily in the Russian Federation.”
The Head of State observed that history repeats itself every century, yet always at a higher level. Speaking of sanctions, the President noted that the West imposed them not against him personally but against the entire country and all Belarusians, including students, their parents, and close ones. 


Aleksandr Lukashenko reminded everyone that Belarus is an export-oriented country with an open economy. 

“That is why they are choking our country with sanctions, forcing us to seek new markets for sale and for supply of those components that we have not mastered yet. We succeed in finding them. We know that all difficulties are temporary for us. This is a time of opportunity,” the President remarked. 

The Belarusian leader emphasised that in the global world, it is impossible to close off the transfer of technologies or products. Addressing the attendees, the Head of State stressed, “Geopolitical competitors are doing everything they can to derail Belarus from its path to a new economic structure. Sanctions and the fight in the information realm for our values, traditions, and historical memory require a considerable amount of strength and resources. This is true. Yet, it is also true that we are building our own economy, including — as it is fashionable to say today — a digital economy, integrating elements of the 6th and 7th technological paradigms into our lives. Among such elements are smart cities, smart transport, artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles, and innovative production. This is the future that the younger generation will continue to build, becoming qualified specialists. We are currently considering creating high-tech incubators — centres of progressive thinking — based on specialised universities.” According to the President, this project should be implemented by BSUIR while the state will provide the necessary support.
The participants of the event asked their questions to the Head of State. Nikita Prokofiev, a third-year student from BSUIR, wanted to know whether the President uses special programmes or AI to systematise information. 
The Belarusian leader admitted that the most important thing is experience and information systematisation, “It is like a library shelf where knowledge and all information is neatly arranged, and when needed, you take the information, the experience — which is very important — from the shelf to make the appropriate decision. I was taught at university not so much to accumulate information but to choose what is needed and essential, and to systematise it. You must analyse; without analysis, nothing will come off.”
Valeria Filipchik, a fourth-year student from the Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Management at the Belarusian State Agrarian Technical University, asked the President about his most extreme foreign trip. 
According to the Belarusian leader, all his trips can be considered extreme in a way, as protocol events often harbour tense negotiations. However, the President described his trip to the United Arab Emirates, China, and several African countries in December 2023 as the most extreme. Aleksandr Lukashenko shared his impressions, “I think it took more than a week. It was indeed an extreme trip, especially since those are hot countries. I am a northern person. I cannot stand the heat.” The Belarusian leader added that he finds it difficult to be away from Belarus for more than 2-3 days. The President mentioned that throughout his presidential years, he had never truly been on vacation, “It is only at home that I can rest, although it is hard to call it a vacation. I love my country and its nature. It is a unique place where we live.”
Students enquired if the President considered his visit to Yugoslavia in 1999, when the country was under constant bombing, to be extreme. Aleksandr Lukashenko recounted some details from that visit when NATO did not ensure flight safety and was conducting airstrikes, and agreed, “That was an extreme trip, indeed. Serbs appreciated that and still do.”

Red line — state border

When communicating with the students, the Head of State touched upon acute geopolitical issues, making it clear that an attack on Belarus or Russia would mark the beginning of a third world war. This assertion was confirmed by Russian President Vladimir Putin while commenting on changes to the nuclear doctrine, as emphasised by the Belarusian leader, “In case of an attack on Russia and Belarus, we [Russia] will use nuclear weapons. He confirmed my words. This was the essence of my statement. As soon as they attack us — NATO is NATO: Americans and Poles have already lined up along the border, especially the Polish one, and we know that the Polish leadership is rubbing its hands — we will use nuclear weapons. Russia will step in for us.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko is confident that such escalation would provoke a global conflict, a world war that no one needs. In this aspect, the President reminded the West that the red line is Belarus’ state border. “If they step on it, the response will be instantaneous. I will be frank — we are preparing for this.”

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by