Sovereignty and independence

"Belarus of the 21st century is a stable state, firmly following the path of independent development."

"Today the time requires every one of us to think not only about themselves but also about the country regardless of how pompous it may sound at times. Regardless of whether we wear shoulder boards or not, whether we work in a state institution or paint pictures."

"We know that as long as we do not accept the traditions, principles and opinions imposed on us from the outside, we will be independent. We know that as long as we are proud of our history, our people and our country, we will be free. As long as we have a native land and historical memory, we are a people. We will be Belarusians! These are not slogans. This is a real status."

"This accord and peaceful life in Belarus are worth a lot, they are not cheap. And we are paying for it. Independence is a good thing. Independence is the thing that every person in any state is dreaming about. But this thing is expensive. It turned out that we can pay for it and live a more or less normal life. Please do as I said yesterday, as I am saying today, as I will always say: work hard and do you job properly! And then our country will always be sovereign and independent."

"We take pride in our history and our land. We will never abandon this land under any circumstances. And we will never allow anyone to dictate how we have to live and what we have to do."

"The essence of the flag and the emblem is that the whole nation, all of us, should worship them. They are, if you like, the secular icons of the country."

"Granting the constitutional status to the Belarusian People’s Congress is an act of historical justice. Since ancient times people’s meetings have been at the forefront of decision making process on the most important state issues. We have legalized the oldest tradition of our Slavonic democracy."

"The surrender of sovereignty is out of the question. I reiterate: we will not surrender our sovereignty with me as President. Belarus is my child. I have done my best to build this country. How can I ruin it with my own hands? No, I won’t allow it. If you want to, go ahead, but without me. This is the everlasting value. We will never be happy under external leadership. Never!"

"As two independent and sovereign states Belarus and Russia can build such a powerful system of mutual relations and unity that it will be stronger than the system of unity inside Russia itself. And we are moving along this track. We borrow the best from them and they learn something from us. Don’t think it is a one-way road. We are as valuable to Russia as Russia is to us."

"We should preserve our country and pass it on to our children in a normal condition. The time has chosen us. We have found ourselves on the frontline of a new cold, even freezing cold war. Only countries that will be able to resist this hybrid pressure will hold out. I want to tell the entire global community: there is no use trying to destabilize the situation in Belarus!"

"We have stood a serious test for national unity. We know that we have everything to pass this period in our newest history with dignity. We have people who are educated, thinking critically, committed to the interests of sovereign Belarus. There is a general understanding that in terms of national interests we are all looking in the same direction - the state one."

"In order to call the shots in the world, one needs to have adequate resources. We do not have them. Therefore, I have never dictated anything and am not going to. I should maintain security and integrity of our country, Belarus’ first independent state in its long-standing history. We are not able and willing to spend resources on anything else."

"We, the Belarusians, are always ready to help everyone. We, however, will never let anybody push us around. We have been brought to our knees for twenty centuries. We have come to the point where we are tired of kneeling and bowing. We will be building our own country."

"We've gone through trials that have broken many nations, but we've taken our fate into our own hands. We've woken up and it is the best thing that could have happened to us, Belarusians. You have to agree that Belarus deserves our care and appreciation of our national status. The status of a citizen of a strong and independent country."

"Life is so short, let's do everything to avoid wasting this time on idle talk, unnecessary things, even more so on destruction. God forbid if amid this worldwide craziness we lose what we will never recover. We shouldn't lose, shouldn't destroy with our own hands what you and I have accomplished together in the last quarter of the century!"

"Independence costs a lot. But it is worth saving and passing on to future generations. Behind us is Belarus – a clean and light, honest and beautiful, hardworking, a bit naive, and slightly vulnerable country. But it is ours, our beloved. And you don't give away your beloved!"

"The most important thing that we did together is that for the first time in history we have built a sovereign and independent state. That never happened before. Therefore, it was a historic achievement. I'm proud of it. That's the most important thing. We will buy everything else, as I say."

"Sovereign and independent Belarus is a reality. It is our sacred duty to preserve sovereignty, peace, and a quiet and creative way of life on our land! To fulfill this historical mission given to us by fate, we must finally realize our national unity, embrace a simple truth: professing different religions we are united in faith; speaking two official languages we are one nation; relying on the experience of the past we build the future. We are the people of a sovereign Belarus, a strong and prosperous country, peaceful and open to the whole world."

"The history of Belarusian statehood has always been difficult. But the desire of our people to live in their own home was a linchpin that gave it strength and boosted its spirit."

"We will certainly prevail in this difficult struggle for the existence of our country as an independent sovereign state, the state that will serve, first and foremost, Belarusian people, for they have earned the right “to be called people” and to live on their own piece of land."

"For centuries, our people have been tormented, robbed, destroyed, or, at best, ignored. That was why we always dreamed of freedom. To live by our wits without looking back at anyone, to beautify our native land, to develop national traditions and culture, to work peacefully for ourselves and our children, for the benefit of the long-suffering Motherland. The dream has come true. We live in an independent state. It was incredibly difficult to win this freedom. It will be much more difficult to defend it."

"Our independence is based on the achievements of a generation of victors. Those who sacrificed the most precious thing - their lives - to bring the long-awaited freedom to our land."

"Sovereignty and independence are the greatest achievements we have today. I am proud and happy that I am the first President of this sovereign country. What we have created together is the greatest achievement. We have built the first sovereign independent state in our history."

"We must realize that the independence of the country is our common duty. If we want to live on our land by our laws and traditions, if we want to be self-reliant if we want our land to belong to us and no one else, if we want to live in peace and prosper, then everyone must understand: the country's troubles, the preservation of its independence is our common cause."

"True sovereignty is expensive, but without it the nation is unsustainable! To paraphrase Bismarck, I would say that independence is "a luxury that not everyone can afford."

"As head of state and President I am free. My hands are clean and there are no handcuffs on them - neither Russian, American, nor German. I do not owe anybody anything. Only my Belarusian people. I will pursue a policy in the interests of our Belarusian people. Not otherwise."

"In my speeches I often speak of sovereignty and independence. Believe me, I mean it. There is no lie here. This is not an act to please someone. I am truly committed to this idea. More than just committed, let's not be too modest here."

"Just remember: I am not a guy who has come to work as President for 3-4-5 years. I do not want to backslide on everything that we have done with you to create a sovereign independent state. I am not going to put it in a box with a cross on top and throw it away or pass it on over to someone else. This is never going to happen while I am President. This is our country. We are sovereign and independent. It's something to be proud of."