MINSK: Belarus marked the 30th Anniversary of the Institute of the Presidency of the Republic of Belarus on July 20, a significant event in the country’s history.
Thirty years ago, on July 20, 1994, Alexander Lukashenko officially assumed office, becoming the first President of the Republic of Belarus.
The meeting of the Supreme Council opened at 10 a.m. on the same day, and gathered a record number of deputies. 318 people gathered in the Oval Hall in the presence of both journalists and diplomats.
The events were held throughout the country to mark the Anniversary, including a Forum of Patriotic Forces held at the Sports Palace of Belarus.
Representatives of public organizations and parties came to Minsk from all over the country to join the celebrations. The Sports Palace hall has the capacity to accommodate about eight thousand people.
The leaders of parties and public associations spoke on the occasion, who recalled the stages that Belarus has passed over the past 30 years, preserving and defending sovereignty and independence.
The forum demonstrated the strength of the Belarusian nation and the patriotic mood of the people of the country. The speakers on occasion stressed the importance of preserving and developing national identity.
President Alexander Lukashenko has recently stressed that in order to preserve the state, it is necessary to preserve its independence. “There can be no state without it. And if there is no state, then there is no us. We are slaves just without it. Therefore, the most important thing is to preserve it”, the Belarusian leader said.
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“Every day – morning, evening, night – you wake up in a cold sweat and think: they trusted you, how not to let you down. This is the hardest thing for a real President”, Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview.
