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Lukashenka scorns Russian president’s meeting with Belarusian journalists

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has described the Russian president’s Monday meeting with Belarusian journalists as absolutely meaningless and suggested that some reporters should have never been invited.

Government-controlled media companies and newspapers vocally against Mr. Lukashenka were invited, among others, to the interview with Mr. Medvedev at his official residence in Barvikha near Moscow.

“I have now looked through the transcript of Medvedev’s meeting with our journalists and I have only seen that it was absolutely meaningless,” the Belarusian leader said while meeting with the heads of state-run news agencies representing CIS nations in Minsk on November 24.

“It is, so to speak, a symmetrical response to Lukashenka’s meeting with Russian journalists and, as they say, Russian pro-opposition ones. I, however, don’t know whether they were dissident, they come here in groups of 100. But we hold such meetings to say the truth about ourselves, because I know that Russia absolutely is not aware of how Belarus lives. Major television channels don’t cover the situation in Belarus and when they do, you know in what manner it takes place. Which is why I am forced to meet with Russian journalists. If there were our television in Russia, the meetings perhaps would not be needed.”

The Belarusian leader said that the Russian president had invited “journalists who even cannot stand the sight of Russian people.” “They should have asked for our advice at least,” he noted.

“What’s the meaning of the meeting? Was it about nettling me?” Mr. Lukashenka wondered. “Or was it about saying something new? But what could be said? We watch TV and read newspapers every day. And Russia is being covered here as Russia wants.”

The Belarusian leaders said that the meeting had focused on issues “broadly discussed in Belarus,” mentioning the Customs Union and Belarusian-Russian Union State projects.

He stressed that such meetings should have “some basis and, importantly, good consequences.” //BelaPAN