Official Website of the Republic of Belarus
Government
Belarus Events Calendar
Belarus’ Top Tourist Sites
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Belarus
Belarusian sanatoria and health resorts
Souvenirs from Belarus
| Home | Government | Events

Events

7 Apr 2017

Belarus president wants citizens to cooperate with security agencies to tackle terrorism threats

MINSK, 7 April (BelTA) – Citizens should cooperate with security agencies in response to terrorism threats. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the relevant statement in his latest interview with the interstate television and radio company Mir, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko admitted that the tragic events in Saint Petersburg made him realize that law enforcement agencies cannot handle terrorism threats on their own. “Yes, security agencies are designed to fight it and they try to forestall terrorist attacks but it is next to impossible. When suicide bombers arrange terrorist attacks completely forfeiting their lives, is it possible to track them down?! It is virtually impossible. If they fail to get into metro, they will try to attack in other places where people are present in numbers,” explained Alexander Lukashenko. “Millions of people cannot be searched and there are over 5 million residents in Saint Petersburg and about 2 million guests.”

Citizens working together with law enforcement agencies will produce a considerable result in counteracting this evil, believes the president. “People should be very attentive. If they see that there is something wrong, they should work together with security agencies after all, they should tip off security agencies,” he stressed. “I have to say these things because all these terrorists live among people one way or another, they prepare for attacks among people. It is not true that people fail to see, fail to notice these preparations.”

As an example the head of state mentioned the explosion that occurred in the Minsk metro in April 2011. That terrorist attack was not arranged by Daesh followers but by regular Belarusian citizens. “When we started the investigation, we saw these so-called Belarusians, who have not been trained for terrorist attacks. They lived among people and managed to create an explosive device. They did it in a regular apartment, in the basement and dozens of people saw them do it. Nobody gave it a second thought. But they might have! In this day and age everyone should speak up if he or she is concerned about something,” Alexander Lukashenko is convinced.

Apart from that, a wise foreign policy and a wise domestic policy of the government can prevent or at least minimize the impact of terrorist attacks. “It is necessary to very carefully implement these policies. If we say that we are fighting evil, then we should fight this evil indeed,” said the president. “We sometimes act very indiscriminately. If some people are Daesh followers, it does not mean that we can insult many other people just on the basis of their nationality or faith.”

“Let’s take a look at the roots of the problem. We don’t want to create fertile soil for terrorism. We don’t want to encourage organizations or even nations let alone individuals to follow the way of terrorism. Let’s start fighting if we understand that some Daesh followers are future terrorists. Let’s fight them really,” stated the head of state.

Archive
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
Great Patriotic War monuments in Belarus