Kochanova: External efforts to destabilize Belarus are getting more inventive
Natalya Kochanova. An archive photo
MINSK, 14 October (BelTA) – External efforts to destabilize the situation in Belarus are becoming more sophisticated, Chair of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly Natalya Kochanova said at a plenary session “Women: A Global Mission in a New Reality” of the Third Eurasian Women’s Forum in St. Petersburg, BelTA has learned.
“We live in a difficult time. The world is going through a serious stress test. And it is not just about the pandemic. The confrontation of cultures and civilizations is aggravating, rhetoric in international relations is becoming more aggressive, so is the media landscape, and radicalism and extremism are turning into real threats. And the worst thing is that human contacts based on love, trust and respect are waning, morality is being eroded. Just six years ago, I deeply empathized with the participants of the first forum who spoke about civil strife, aggression, armed clashes in their countries. And it was completely incomprehensible how this could happen in the 21st century. Such things seemed impossible in our country. Belarus is a young, dynamically developing republic, where people have always been at the heart of everything. Under the wise leadership of our president, our country is pursuing a consistent policy to improve the quality of life for people,” Natalya Kochanova said.
The Belarusian government pays utmost attention to mothers and children, large families, the older generation and people with disabilities. Representatives of different ethnicities and faiths live in peace and harmony there. Belarus is a place of social justice, peace and tranquility.
“The year 2020 put us to the test. The brazen and cynical intervention of external forces disrupted the usual mode of life. A large-scale and intensive hybrid war was launched against our country, including through the use of social media. Unfortunately, some of our compatriots were drawn into political games. Having succumbed to provocations of hostile media, they went astray and became a tool in the hands of the masterminds of color revolutions. They thoughtlessly acted on someone else’s orders, inciting enmity and discord between neighbors, coworkers, and even family members. It was painful to see how national foundations and values were being destroyed and state symbols desecrated. Wearing white clothes, carrying red flowers and marching to folk songs, they staged street actions aimed against the government under the guise of a peaceful protest. Individual Belarusian women brought bitter disappointment and deep shame to the Belarusian nation. Contrary to the nature of the Belarusian woman, i.e. to be a guardian of family, a source of creative inspiration and spirituality, a symbol of kindness and harmony – they first took to the streets and then went into self-exile to foreign lands. By begging for grants and calling for sanctions, they are selling the wellbeing of people in our country,” the speaker noted.
Natalya Kochanova stressed that Belarusians cannot accept it. “Our genetic memory still keeps the shocks of destructive wars, unleashed not by us and not by our will. This year marks 100 years since Belarusian lands were torn into the Western and Eastern parts. They reunited only in 1939. In 2020 we celebrated the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. It was the war in which a third of our residents died. All forces of good will in our country have rallied against the cold-blooded and calculated attempts to once again divide us, the Belarusians, and bury our statehood alive. Representatives of the Belarusian people – members of the Council of the Republic, MPs, labor collectives, trade unions, and public associations – have urged the international community to leave Belarus alone and let us build our own future. We are always ready for an open and honest dialogue with everyone. We will always seek to maintain peace, tranquility and order on Earth, normal human relations. Belarusian patriots united in defense of their Fatherland at the First Belarusian Women’s Forum last September. We appealed to all who stand for humanity, compassion, and care for the younger generation,” she said.
Despite the efforts of our ill-wishers, the Belarusian people withstood. “We have preserved our statehood. After all, the truth is on our side. We have finally figured out who is who. Attempts from outside to destabilize Belarus have not ceased and they are getting more and more brazen and sophisticated. Radicalization is increasing, with an attempt to kill a journalist, attempts to set houses of MPs and civil servants on fire, and the most recent impudent murder of a KGB officer in the line of duty. Any appropriate action on the part of Belarus – be it its readiness to provide its airport for a plane to land due to a terrorist threat or to protect the state border from the flow of illegal migrants – causes a surge of emotions,” said the chairwoman of the Council of the Republic. And this almost immediately kills the opportunity to discuss our actions in a constructive way,” the speaker said.
“But it is important that we are not alone. There are those who look in the same direction with us, for whom good neighborliness and decency, humanity and justice are not just beautiful words but principles. We are grateful to all the countries that have supported us during this difficult time and are supporting us now. First of all, we are grateful to Russia, our sister nation, and its leadership. The tests have made us stronger, forged our spirit, and became another milestone in building the national character. We have fully realized the importance of our unity. This is why we declared 2021 the Year of People’s Unity in Belarus. On 17 September this year, we marked a new Belarusian holiday – the Day of People’s Unity,” she added. “The events of 2020 concern not only Belarus. This is our common problem. After all, any state can find itself in a similar situation. With the help of electronic gadgets and the internet, you can undermine stability and peace anywhere in the world. Therefore, today it is impossible to be indifferent. It is necessary to meet each other halfway, look for points of contact, listen and hear each other, help in any difficult situation, as Russia and China do in the fight against COVID infection. We immediately sent humanitarian aid to the Chinese people, who were the first to face the pandemic. In turn, our strategic partners are helping us to deal with this challenge. We are infinitely grateful to the leadership, the peoples of Russia and China for close, trusting cooperation with Belarus.”
The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia and the CIS IPA are holding the Third Eurasian Women’s Forum in St. Petersburg on 13-15 October. The forum is held every three years and is themed around the ideas of integration and cooperation to strengthen the role of women in achieving sustainable development goals and new approaches to solving global problems in the wake of political, economic, technological, social and environmental changes. The forum brings together women parliamentarians, representatives of executive authorities, international organizations, global corporations, business circles, the scientific community, public organizations and charitable projects, and influential figures of the international women’s movement.
