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PRESS RELEASE
On
Statement by President of Belarus Aleksander Lukashenko at the Third
All-Belarus People's Congress
Washington,
D.C.,
March 3,
2006
The
All-Belarus People’s Congress took place in the Palace of the Republic in
Minsk during 2-3 of March, 2006.
The forum
had two main items on the agenda: summarizing the results of the
implementation of the Program of socio-economic development of the Republic
of Belarus for 2001-2005 and discussing the draft socio-economic program for
the next five-year period.
The third
All-Belarus People's Congress is an open conversation with the nation,
direct and effective form of democracy allowing people to participate in the
state administration, President of Belarus Aleksander Lukashenko said while
opening the event on March 2.
Addressing
the Congress, the President noted, for the third time the people has
gathered for a national assembly. Aleksander Lukashenko reminded, the first
congress took place at time of radical measures necessary to stop the
country from sliding into an abyss, and added: "Who could we rely on at that
time? On politicians and parliamentarians, whom we lost confidence in, ? We
could rely on the people only".
The
decision brought this democratic form of communication – the All-Belarus
People's Congress. The congress will decide on the destiny of the state and
development ways. "Not officials in their offices, but representatives of
the nation sent from various parts of the country", emphasized the
President.
The first
All-Belarus People's Congress clarified the situation. The nation united and
chose a productive and evolutionary way of the country's development, said
Aleksander Lukashenko. It was then that we gave up the shock therapy method
and defined basic principles of the evolutionary social and economic
development. "If we had chosen different decisions, it would have been a
different country or maybe no country at all", noted the President.
In his
address at the forum, the President expounded on Belarus’ development
prospects for the next five-year planning period and outlined the priority
objectives whose implementation would furnish a powerful impetus to
socio-economic development of the country and would considerably raise
living standards of the people.
The main
motto for the next five-year period is “the state for the people, for the
man.” We have built a sovereign state and now we will have to make it as
comfortable as possible for the people to live in”, Aleksander Lukashenko
stated.
Alexander
Lukashenko underscored that Belarus had worked out its own model of
development based on well-balanced and thought-out reforms. This model shuns
sweeping privatization and shock therapy and preserves everything what was
best in our economy and in our traditions.
“The
country’s development policy line worked out by us has proved right. High
rates of economic growth which our economy has been demonstrating for more
than 10 years already provide good evidence thereof,” Aleksander Lukashenko
said. The annual GDP growth over the past five-year planning period was 7.5
percent in Belarus as against 3.5 percent of the world average.
The
President pointed out that Belarus had fulfilled the major indicators of the
Program of socio-economic development of Belarus for 2001-2005. “The secret
behind our success is in strong state power, strong social policy and
reliance on the people,” the Belarusian leader added.
The
priority goal of the current five-year planning period is a sharp rise in
living standards. We should be striving to achieve, in five years, a quality
of life of our citizens comparable to the West-European standards, the
President said.
Acceleration of innovations is going to be the main distinctive feature of
the development of the production sector in the current five-year period.
For one thing, Br 310 billion (Br 2150 = $1) have been envisaged for the
support of science during this year alone, nearly one-third more that it was
targeted last year. By 2010, allocations to science will grow at least
two-fold.
In the
international scene, Belarus is a full-fledged and active member of the
international community. What is more, it is one of few states which pursue
a truly independent foreign policy, Aleksander Lukashenko stated.
“Our
foreign policy line is not decided in other capital cities, powerful as they
might be, but is determined independently, proceeding from concrete national
interests,” the Head of State said.
Belarus’
foreign policy is of exceptionally peace-loving nature. “Our country is
committed to security both in the region and in the world. We are doing
everything to make relations between the main military and political
organizations in Europe – Collective Security Treaty Organization and NATO –
the relations of partnership and cooperation. An equal footing partnership
though, not the one based on the master-and-servant principle", Aleksander
Lukashenko remarked.
Participants of the Third All-Belarus People’s Congress have approved a
draft program on socio-economic development of the republic by 2006-2010 and
adopted a corresponding resolution, which supports the state priorities
determined by the leadership of the country. Among them – all-round harmonic
human development based on increased money incomes, an innovation way of the
economy development, energy and resource saving, boosting export potential
by enhancing the competitive power of national products, development of the
agro-industrial complex and social village revival, housing construction,
economic development of settlements and towns. In line with the resolution
a special emphasis will be placed on the youth policy, economic measures to
strengthen families and to stimulate fertility, extirpation of corruption
and red tape. The document underlines the necessity to strengthen the role
of science in development of economy and education. The resolution also
admits that the program on socio-economic development of Belarus for
2001-2005 was completely implemented.
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