MINSK, February 20. /TASS/. Ivan Tertel, chairman of the State Security Committee of Belarus, has accused the West of continuing to work toward creating conditions for an unconstitutional change of power in the country.

"The West is consistently implementing measures to put pressure on our country. First of all, these are illegal economic sanctions, attempts to cut us off from traditional markets, from cooperation ties with partners from the CIS countries, which should set off - I quote - ‘food riots’ and lead to the creation of conditions for a violent change of the constitutional order in Belarus," he said at a meeting that the Belarusian president held with the senior staff of the national security agencies, according to the BelTA news agency.

The official also said the West is paying increased attention to "the use of the so-called fifth column operating in Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine in the form of separate organizations of fugitives (the opposition - TASS), which have essentially turned into centers of subversive activities against Belarus.".