Presidential election 2015 in Belarus

GOMEL, 30 September (BelTA) – The Belarusian presidential candidate Nikolai Ulakhovich suggested replacing obligatory military service with contracts in the Belarusian army as he met with voters in Gomel on 30 September, BelTA has learned.

According to Nikolai Ulakhovich, these days army personnel need special knowledge and skills to operate modern weaponry. This is why the army needs highly qualified specialists. “I believe it is necessary to abolish obligatory military service and start building the army based on contracts,” he said.

The presidential candidate also spoke against using the army in military operations outside the country. “Under no circumstances must the army be involved in someone else’s conflicts. The army should protect only the territory of its own country,” said Nikolai Ulakhovich. He spoke in negative terms about several opposition leaders, who encourage Belarusians to take an active part in the armed conflict in Ukraine.

Speaking about international relations, Nikolai Ulakhovich spoke highly of the measured approach practiced by the country’s current administration in building relations with western and eastern neighbors. Yet he said he believes that in the future Belarus will have to expand cooperation with the European Union in economy and culture. “We shouldn’t expect that European markets will be wide open before us. Competition is very strong over there. There is also a system of protective measures and import quotas in place. This is why it is necessary to simultaneously build relations with countries in other parts of the world,” he said.

The presidential candidate answered a number of questions asked by the audience, of which students constituted a large part. Nikolai Ulakhovich spoke about his attitude to the state symbols of Belarus, to the sanctions imposed by some countries against Belarus, to same-sex marriages, and spoke about possible ways of overcoming the economic crisis.