Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly

It is important that we not only survive a new redivision of the world but also build our future, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he delivered his Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly in Minsk on 28 January.

"Being in good shape and confidently looking to the future, we have come to the most crucial point in our modern history - the renewal of the political system, a new level of interaction between the state and society. Having realized what had been happening in the world in 2020 and 2021, many of our supporters paused to think. I ask the question: why? In order to think and not to fall. Otherwise they will trample us over. We need to stay ahead of the curve. We need to be proactive. And, perhaps, what seems strange to someone today will be out-of-date tomorrow," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The President stressed that following the decisions of the 6th Belarusian People's Congress, the country was working throughout 2021, carefully and maliciously, on the draft of a new Constitution that fully meets the needs of society. The draft of the updated Basic Law has been submitted to a nationwide referendum.

"All in all, the work on the Basic Law took five years. It was not just about 2020-2021. Journalists did great and showed the origins of the new changes to the current Constitution. I emphasize once again that the amendments are needed so that we are not late tomorrow," he said. “Realizing the high credit of trust that the people placed in the President, I count on the active support of citizens of the position of the state at such a crucial moment. This applies not only to voting in the referendum, but also to the dynamic transformations that we will need to make together. Everything that will happen after the adoption of the new Constitution, if it is adopted, will mean even more work than before the referendum. It's going to be a creative work. The work of prominent jurists, sociologists, political scientists, journalists, the whole nation. I ask you to be ready for hard work, which will help us not only survive a new redivision of the world but also build our future. And, most importantly, the future of our country and our children."