Aleksandr Lukashenko gives interview to Serbian mass media

On 9 June President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko gave an interview to the biggest Serbian mass media – the daily newspaper Politika and the state company Radio Television of Serbia.

The head of state answered a wide range of questions regarding Belarus’ sustainable social and economic development, the influence of the global financial crisis, relations of Belarus with the European Union and NATO, the current state of affairs and prospects of Belarus-Serbia relations.

Commenting on the West’s criticism of the Belarusian policy, Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “This helps us keep going and maintain stability in the country”.

“I often emphasize that it is more important for me that a young mother will be able to go out late in the evening and take her baby for a walk without being afraid that some thugs will stop her and start torturing. I want families to have a decent living, give birth to kids. It is more important for me than to go to the European Union and crack a smile there,” the President stressed.

Special attention was drawn to the evolution of the Eurasian Economic Union and its appeal for other countries.

Aleksandr Lukashenko believes that the Eurasian Economic Union has great prospects. However, “it is necessary to demonstrate good economic prospects and prove that it is a viable union” in order to attract new members.

“The treaty between the three states attracts a lot of attention even at the stage of signing. I do not speak about China. We already maintain a dialogue and cooperate with this country,” the Belarusian leader said. Today Vietnam, India and other countries are interested in the union. Even Serbia is interested in the association. “I am convinced that Ukraine will cooperate with the union,” the Belarusian leader said.

“It attracts huge attention even at the stage of formation. And this is right because, in my opinion, a new center of power is being formed. Probably, it will make an additional contribution to the development of the multipolar world,” the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also expressed his opinion about the reasons for the political crisis in Ukraine.

After the interview Serbian journalists thanked the Belarusian head of state for Belarus’ assistance in the mitigation of consequences of a recent flood in Serbia.

The daily newspaper Politika is the oldest newspaper in the Balkan region. It was founded in 1904. The newspaper has a wide range of readers. It is popular in the political, business and academic circles of Serbia.

The state company Radio Television of Serbia is a national media holding company. It is the largest broadcasting company on the territory of former Yugoslavia and in the Balkan region.