Meeting with senior officials of Gomel Oblast

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko held a meeting with senior officials of Gomel Oblast on 22 December.

The head of state introduced the new head of the region Ivan Krupko. On the morning of 22December, the Gomel Oblast Council of Deputies approved Ivan Krupko as chairman of the Gomel Oblast Executive Committee.

The head of state recalled that a huge work had been done in the region to reclaim its lands after the Chernobyl accident.

“We cannot ruin Gomel Oblast, and we will not do it. This is out of the question. If you all refuse to get on board with the idea to revitalize the region, we will find other people to do it. We must definitely breathe new life into Gomel Oblast. It is a great place, not like anything else. This is a special area of Belarus, and we will definitely preserve it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

"Without governors, without executive committees, we will not be able to govern the country. This is a key position in our state. Seven people [heads of regional executive committees and Minsk City Hall] are the cornerstone of the system," the Belarusian leader said.

The head of state also paid special attention to the work of law enforcement agencies in the region. They should work hand in hand with local authorities in the interests of the region and the country as a whole. Law enforcement and investigative bodies, the prosecutor's office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the KGB departments in Belarus have an independent status (they depend only on the law), they have their own executive chain, the President noted. At the same time, he pointed to the responsibility of law enforcement for the situation in the region. "These are members of the executive committee. I approve them as members of the executive committee. The decisions of an executive committee are the law for all enforcement agencies. If you, giving instructions, violate the law, they, of course, will immediately report to the minister, the minister will inform me," the Belarusian leader said. “The law enforcement system should work in Gomel for the benefit of the region and for the country as a whole. I want people in uniform to hear it and I want you take it into account."