Meeting of Belarus’ Security Council

The draft of the updated national security concept was submitted for discussion at the Security Council meeting hosted by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.

According to the head of state, the document adopted in 2010 has not lost its relevance. Moreover, the national security system built on its lines has demonstrated its effectiveness, including during the most acute period of external pressure on Belarus.

“The mechanism of the so-called political terrorism, tested in many countries, failed here. And today we are responding quite adequately to another set of challenges facing us - provocations, sanctions, political ultimatums, and so on. Yet, all tests give us experience, first of all. And experience is a valuable material for working out a development strategy. Adapting the national security concept to the realities of today is a completely logical and very timely step,” the Belarusian leader said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko believes that the elements of the Cold War - the arms race and nuclear blackmail by leaders of individual Western states - have returned to today’s international agenda.

“There is an obvious resurgence of aggressive nationalism and extremism in various forms and manifestations. The ideology of neo-fascism is gaining ground. The risks associated with narcotic drugs, human trafficking, illegal migration, which are also used to achieve political goals, are not subsiding. The trend towards global cultural unification, including the trend towards unconventional behaviors, endangers the foundations of the nation state, i.e. our moral principles, centuries-old values, historical memory,” the President said.

This is happening against the backdrop of degeneration of the ecosystem, lack of resources, global climate change, increased pressure on the environment, a demographic crisis, and the danger of a new wave of various pandemics.

“All these threats did not emerge yesterday. The geopolitical interest in Belarus on the part of the Western hegemon has a history of more than one century. The technologies and methods of conducting hybrid wars are becoming increasingly sophisticated. And we must look even further and be ahead of the curve,” the Belarusian leader said.

He recalled that he had given the instruction to update the national security concept at the Belarusian People’s Congress.

“According to the State Secretariat, the draft of this document is ready. We will have to analyze whether it is well calibrated to the developments in the world and around our country, whether the proposed national security system can adequately respond to new risks, challenges and threats,” the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko addressed several key questions to the participants of the meeting:

First, he asked what new national security threats and their sources are outlined in the draft concept, as well as what new provisions are included: “The main thing is whether the continuity of the basic principles of the national security policy is preserved.”

The head of state recalled his fundamental requirement for any change - not to break, but to improve.

Secondly, Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that the updated Constitution was adopted at the referendum last February. The fundamental law includes the most important provisions for the Belarusian society. “How are they reflected in the concept and what was adopted in their pursuance?” the head of state asked.

Thirdly, being an independent and sovereign state Belarus has developed new national interests. “They also require conceptual formalization in the national security system. How fully and objectively are these interests reflected in the concept? Were any additional measures provided for their protection?” the President asked.

Fourthly, Aleksandr Lukashenko drew attention to the fact that, unlike a number of countries, including former Soviet nations where such documents are classified, Belarus decided not to hide anything. “You also know that this is my principled demand. We must clearly and openly declare our priorities, we must show the world the transparency of our policy, the reliability of Belarus as a responsible partner. But our partners must also know that Belarusian peacefulness is not synonymous to willingness to sacrifice. As I have said more than once, in the event of any aggression, the response will be fast, tough and adequate. Are the new provisions of the concept into line with this ideological position of the Belarusians who have had enough of wars and revolutions?” the President asked.

Aleksandr Lukashenko told the participants of the meeting that this document should be extremely overt, open and comprehensible: “It is necessary to clearly articulate what challenges we see for Belarus and how we plan to maintain our security. Have you managed to fulfill this task? How is the public discussion of the concept going on? Was the academic, expert community involved in its development, or is it a cabinet document, which should not be the case?”

The President emphasized that the approval of the national security concept, which is one of the most important documents for the country, will be one of the key responsibilities of the Belarusian People’s Congress. “Therefore, the document should be ready for the meeting of the first convocation of its delegates who will act in their new constitutional status. In other words, we will submit this document for discussion and approval at the first meeting of the Belarusian People’s Congress. If delegates of the Belarusian People’s Congress uphold it, it will come into force,” the Belarusian leader said.