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Lukashenko promises to preserve independence of Belarus

According to the incumbent president, the country's dependence in oil and gas, finance, and other spheres must be removed

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, at the rostrum, and State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Andrei Ravkov Nikolai Petrov/BelTA/TASS

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, at the rostrum, and State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Andrei Ravkov

© Nikolai Petrov/BelTA/TASS

MINSK, August 4. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko considers the preservation of the country’s independence and sovereignty important and wants to remove the dependence in oil and gas, finance, and other spheres. This is mentioned in his electoral program published on Tuesday in the Zvyazda daily.

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"Independence comes at a price but it is worth preserving and passing it on to next generations," the incumbent president said.

According to him, over the quarter of the century, the republic’s citizens were building a "common house with windows looking to the East and West both." "We’ve always been open to friendship and cooperation. We’ve never meddled in the internal affairs of other states. Our peaceful diplomacy has always been and remains a guarantee of Belarusian security," he emphasized.

However, according to him, the world enters "an era of global geopolitical shocks." "Everything will be done so that the disagreements in foreign policy won’t affect the friendship of the people who are destined to live together in this land in the center of Europe and so that the geography of friendly countries expands," Lukashenko stated.

He also noted that the "situation demonstrated how important it is to remove the country’s dependence in oil and gas, finance, and other spheres." "When resolving these issues, we will adhere to global trends of creating new branches of economy," the Belarusian president pointed out. He also promised that the authorities wouldn’t resort to "shock therapy" in the economic sphere.

The presidential election in Belarus will take place on August 9. On Tuesday, early voting begins which will continue through August 8. Besides the incumbent head of state, there are four presidential candidates in the running - Co-Chairman of the Tell the Truth movement Andrey Dmitriev, former member of the lower house of the Belarusian parliament Anna Kanopatskaya, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, and Chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada party Sergey Cherechen. Two applicants, ex-head of Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko who is under arrest and ex-head of Hi-Tech Park Valery Tsepkalo, were denied registration.

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Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

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US, European officials suggest returning nukes to Ukraine — NYT

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Foreign Policy pointed out that Western officials should stop insisting in public speeches on the need to achieve a strategic defeat for Russia

Russia fires ballistic, non-nuclear-tipped missile at Ukrainian aerospace plant — Putin

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Zelensky begs ‘for his country to be flattened’ — US journalist

"Ukraine should be forever grateful that President Putin is calm, rational and kind - because Zelensky is practically begging for his country to be flattened," American political commentator Jackson Hinkle said

Western countries should 'be afraid, tremble' after Putin's statement — lawmaker

Andrey Kartapolov added that the special military operation in Ukraine "will continue its course until all tasks are completed"

Putin stays open to contacts to reach 'peaceful track' — Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised address to the nation on November 21, announcing that in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia, Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time

Russia’s re-election to UNCITRAL confirms its global reputation — Foreign Ministry

Russia got the support of 129 countries in a November 20 vote in New York at the 40th plenary session of the UN General Assembly

Russian air defense deflects attacks with Western missiles — Putin

"As a result, the goals that the enemy apparently set have not been achieved," the Russian leader said

Russian forces cut off key Ukrainian supply route in Velikaya Novoselka, DPR

According to the security services, Ukrainian troops still have access to several unpaved roads, which are also under Russian fire control

Russia’s Oreshnik has no analogues worldwide — Putin

"We know what kind of developments are being carried out there, but this will happen tomorrow or in a year or two, but we have such a system already today," the president said

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The overall death toll from Israeli bombardments and artillery attacks since the outbreak of the current escalation in October 2023 has reached 3,642, with 15,356 people being wounded

Trump seeks to restore peace in entire world — transition team on Putin’s address

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Good relations between Moscow, Riyadh helping oil market stability — Medvedev

"Our friends are living in the Arab world," the politician noted

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Putin’s position can be traced back to his 2007 address at the Munich Security Conference, Tiberio Graziani says

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Oreshnik missile to go into serial production, Putin says

The president stressed that given the weapon’s special power, it "will be provided precisely to the Strategic Missile Forces"

Defense ministers of five European nations to meet in Berlin on November 25

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Energy facilities backing Ukrainian defense industry extensively attacked

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Maria Zakharova noted that the Russian Embassy in Helsinki has sent requests to clarify the situation

Russia forced to roll out new weapons as West fuels conflict, Minsk says

According to Belarusian Security Council State Secretary Alexander Volfovich, "the West does not support peace, it supports war"

Turkey’s desire to be gas hub important for energy security — Russian official

Russia will continue developing pipe gas supplies and will "continue supplying competitive energy resources to partners and the whole world," Pavel Sorokin noted

Russian stock market indices mixed on Friday — market data

The MOEX Russia Index surged by 0.48% to 2,581.05 points

Internet shutdown possible in Belarus if events of August 2020 recur, Lukashenko says

Belarus faced widespread disruptions to mobile Internet access in 2020 due to the protests that erupted across the country

Ukrainian defense line in Donbass may soon collapse — expert

"Those are very important logistical hubs and defence outposts for the Ukrainian armed forces, and losing them will give Russia the advantage to move forward to cities like Kramatorsk and Slovyansk," Marina Miron emphasized