Reception on occasion of opening of 2nd European Games at Palace of Independence
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In the Palace of Independence Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko welcomed visiting dignitaries, who arrived in Belarus to attend the opening ceremony of the 2nd European Games Minsk 2019.
Addressing participants of the solemn dinner for heads of state, heads of government, other dignitaries in honor of the opening of the 2nd European Games Minsk 2019, Aleksandr Lukashenko once again thanked them for coming to Belarus. “First of all, I would like to thank all of you for finding time in your busy schedules to come to Belarus. It is a great honor for us. It is profitable for us from many points of view, including commercial ones,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “The world is commercialized these days, this is why everyone looks at it from this point of view. Everyone knows that if you like it here in Belarus, your friends and families, business circles will learn about it.”
The head of state said he hopes that the foreign guests will take the beauty of the Belarusian land and the spirituality of the nation to their hearts and will leave with good impressions. “Most importantly, I would like you to fully feel the soul kindness of the Belarusian people. Many people – and I among them – believe that it is comfortable to come to Belarus. One can rest here, talk here. Virtually everyone will show great understanding and attention to you,” Aleksandr Lukashenko noted.
The dignitaries present during the solemn dinner in the Palace of Independence included Moldova President Igor Dodon, Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, and Head of the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation Ramzan Kadyrov.
Heads of international Olympic institutions, including President of the European Olympic Committees Janez Kocijancic, also took part in the event.
Heads of various integration bodies were also invited. The number included Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission Tigran Sargsyan, State Secretary of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Grigory Rapota, Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary, Sergei Lebedev. The number of dignitaries present during the solemn dinner also included Speaker of the Azerbaijan parliament Ogtay Asadov, Minister of Prime Minister’s Office of Hungary Gergely Gulyas, and Minister of State for Trade Policy at the Department for International Trade of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland George Hollingbery.