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Lukashenko vows Belarus won’t ditch Russia for West

President Alexander Lukashenko pointed out that presently Russians face no problems in Belarus

© EPA/NIKOLAI PETROV/POOL

MINSK, April 20. /TASS/. Belarus will not abandon Russia for the West, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said today at a meeting with Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Valery Shantsev.

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"If someone says we took sides with the West or with someone else, ignore it. We understand perfectly well that we are of no use to the West. Moreover, they have never been fond of me to say the least, and that hasn’t changed." Lukashenko emphasized.

As Lukashenko put it, Belarus, being situated in the heart of Europe, has to pursue a policy of international engagement in order to preserve its sovereignty and safety, so that Belarusians and Russians could live in peace. "That’s what our life is about: we must not spoil relations with Russia, Ukraine or the West," the president noted. "If we had a situation similar to that in Ukraine, nothing good would come out of it."

Lukashenko pointed out that presently Russians face no problems in Belarus. The president also covered the language issue. "We use the Belarusian language, and that’s the way it should be. Though the vast majority speaks Russian, we will never renounce it," the president added.

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