MINSK, August 28. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has acknowledged that he rules the country with an iron fist, seeing this as the only way.

"I don’t want to govern authoritatively, like a dictator. But to this point, I haven’t been able to avoid this," he was quoted as saying by Telegram channel Pool of the First, which is close to the press service of the head of state. No context was given as to why he made the comment.

During his trip to the Mogilyov Region, Lukashenko held a meeting on the development of potato production.

"The harvesting campaign is in full swing. Everything the government has asked for was done. Now the result depends on you. Simultaneously with potatoes, beetroot is being harvested, including sugar, corn for grain, cabbage, and carrots. It has been a difficult year, but, I repeat, the harvest in the fields is decent. We need to harvest and preserve it," BelTA news agency quoted the president as saying.