Events

Our President book published in English

MINSK, 29 July (BelTA) – The book Our President has been published in English. Its presentation took place at the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 29 July, BelTA has learned.

The English-language edition was printed in a run of 2,000 copies. Belarusian diplomats were the first to familiarize themselves with the book. These days, Minsk is hosting the annual seminar for heads of Belarusian diplomatic missions and consular offices, and the presentation became its central event.

According to Belarusian Foreign Affairs Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, ever since the book appeared in Russian, it has attracted considerable interest abroad, so publishing an English version was a logical and necessary step.

According to him, the interest of the foreign audience in the phenomenon of the Belarusian state, independent and socially oriented, and in the personality of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, whose name is inseparably linked with the history of the formation and development of the Republic of Belarus, could not be ignored.

Press Secretary of the Belarus President Natalya Eismont emphasized that Belarus’ experience, including its political experience, is extremely relevant at the present stage, and it is essential to showcase it and share it with the widest possible audience. “The purpose, essence, and necessity of publishing foreign-language versions of the book lie precisely in this. Through the biography of our president, through his life path, his personality, which interests both friends and opponents, we show the path of sovereign Belarus: our first, most difficult and probably most important 30 years,” Natalya Eismont said.

“We did it because it simply had to be done,” she added. “But how much it will be in demand, how correctly it will be received, that, of course, depends on you. You will certainly feel how and where this book needs to be heard.”

First Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration Vladimir Pertsov noted that the appearance of a foreign-language version is a response to a request from patriots abroad, which emerged immediately after the book was published in Russian. An English edition has appeared, and, likely, versions in other languages may be released in the future. Which languages exactly will be determined, among other things, with the assistance of the diplomatic corps.

“Even in those countries that we can consider friendly, those that treat our country and the president amicably, there is not much objective information about Belarus. It appears situationally,” Vladimir Pertsov said, addressing the diplomats. “You have to break through this informational wall every day, holding meetings with diplomatic, political, economic, cultural, and public elites in the countries where you serve, working directly with objections, dismantling fakes and stereotypes.”

“I am confident that the book will be a worthy support for you, a help in the difficult work you do, so that those elites who hold an unfriendly position toward our country, after familiarizing themselves with the documentary-biographical essay, might change their attitude toward our country and our president and become, if not our allies, then at least people who will not contribute to the adoption of new packages [of sanctions] or the creation of new barbs,” the first deputy head of the President Administration emphasized.

“Through this book, it will be possible to show how our president, in just over 30 years, created the very Republic of Belarus that we are proud of and that we promote on the external track,” Vladimir Pertsov is convinced.