Report of Belarusian Interior Minister Igor Shunevich

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Punishment for drug users and drug dealers for drug-related crimes should be strictly differentiated, Belarus’ President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he heard out a report by Interior Minister Igor Shunevich on 22 May.

The head of state asked the interior minister to update him on the crime rate in the county and the efforts to combat drug dealing.

“What kind of problems do we have there? Maybe, we have missed something or made mistakes while passing respective laws. Back then I insisted on toughening punishment for those who produce, supply and sell drugs. We need to strictly differentiate between drug users and drug dealers,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

According to Igor Shunevich, the crime rate in the country continues to fall. “We do not observe anything extraordinary. I believe the level of crime control we have achieved enables us to get a real picture of the situation and to provide an adequate response to challenges and threats associated with this social phenomenon,” the minister said.

At the meeting with Igor Shunevich who is also the chairman of HC Dinamo Minsk Supervisory Council, Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “Our team deserved to be relegated from the elite division. They do not belong there with such a poor game. But we cannot accept this,” the head of state noted.

The head of state asked about the future prospects of HC Dinamo Minsk which is the main base for training players for the national team. “Today, the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation complains that HC Dinamo Minsk does not fulfill its obligations. The hockey club says that it has its own interests, it needs to play and show results in the Kontinental Hockey League. To avoid disagreements, we need to do the following: the country’s best players should play in Dinamo Minsk and the club’s best players should be in the national team,” the president said.

“The preference should be given to the national team. The national team should include Belarusian players and, first of all, goaltenders. Having neither efficient defense nor offense is not good. If they cannot score some ten goals in ten games, they are not a team,” Aleksandr Lukashenko.

The participants of the meeting also discussed the cooperation of the Belarusian Interior Ministry with foreign countries. The sides are interested in exchanging the best practices for the maintenance of public security. “We have something to share. These contacts will be implemented soon via practical agreements and terms,” he added.