Events

Lukashenko talks about Parliament's achievements during Belarus’ independence

MINSK, 5 December (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke about the main achievements of the parliament during the years of Belarus’ independence as he addressed the new and outgoing MPs of the House of Representatives and members of the Council of the Republic on 5 December, BelTA has learned.

The head of state stressed that each new convocation of the people's representation can be characterized by a consistent and responsible movement towards progressive transformation. “The National Assembly has developed the entire system of legislation in the country, which is much more difficult than build a factory. In order to fulfill new strategic tasks facing the country, the MPs adjusted the outdated rules and norms of the Soviet times and filled in the legal vacuum,” the president said.

According to him, with the participation of the parliament, the democratic foundations of the Belarusian statehood and civil society were laid in the laws governing the activities of the country's main political institutions.

The MPs have approved the program documents which are the main directions of domestic and foreign policy and the military doctrine.

“The new codes adopted in the Oval Hall of the Parliament developed the basic constitutional rights of citizens. A number of important laws were adopted to address the issues of introducing modern (market) mechanisms into the economy. The main focus was on social orientation of the national budget and annual laws on its implementation,” the Belarusian leader said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized an important role of a number of laws in improving the quality of life. These were the laws to introduce minimum social standards, address demographic and environmental problems, mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.

“The law on international agreements adopted by the MPs has not only ensured the promotion of national interests in the international arena but also created conditions for the protection of the rights of Belarusian citizens outside the country,” the president stressed.

Over the period of its activity, the Belarusian parliament has adopted more than 2,000 laws. Some 300 of them are the achievement of the the outgoing parliament.

The head of state is convinced that the Belarusian parliament has become recognizable thanks in large part to the work of MPs and senators. “For the first time, Minsk has become an important platform for international events, including sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Central European Initiative, a meeting of the Bureau of the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities of the Eastern Partnership. The OSCE PA Silk Road Support Group Conference in Minsk in spring 2019 also contributed to the promotion of Minsk as a reputable international platform,” he said.

The international legal framework of the Belarusian parliament was supplemented by new documents on bilateral cooperation with the parliaments of 16 states. “MPs have played a major role in the development of the legal framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, focusing on the protection of domestic producers and promotion of national interests in the markets of our neighbors,” the president said.

Entrepreneurs and the business community welcomed the decisions to promote business initiative and relax the liability for offenses in the entrepreneurial activity. The parliamentary hearings on legal and practical aspects of improving the investment climate in the Republic of Belarus received a wide public response.

Aleksandr Lukashenko hailed the work of the outgoing parliament with young people. A regulation on the Youth Council at the National Assembly has been drafted. The Youth Chamber of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union State has been set up. Youth parliaments have been formed under the regional councils of deputies.

“All the achievements of the parliament have been made possible, first of all, thanks to the absence of political disagreements and the readiness of MPs to cooperate constructively with other branches of power.  The National Assembly has always structured its work in such a way that draft laws have always met the interests of the society and the state. I am convinced that the new Parliament will preserve the continuity of productive and relevant legislation,” the president stressed.

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