Lukashenka: “Earlier I rushed at journalists even without weapons”

Communication with journalists is an exam for every president, Alyaksandr Lukashenka is convinced.

“Communication with journalists is an exam for every president. It is impossible to prepare oneself to it. If you are a fool, you cannot conceal that from a journalist,” he said during the press-conference of Russian provincial media in Minsk. As said by him, journalism is a “profession of picking in brains and searching for negative things”.

At the same time, A. Lukashenka specified that he is a supporter of “sincere policy” and “he is bitterly insulted when journalists tell lies”. As said by the Belarusian ruler, “I attacked such journalists even without weapons before. Now I treat them more calmly, knowing that it cannot be rooted out,” Interfax informs.

Addressing representatives of Russian provincial mass media, Lukashenka told: “The opposition is shouting that Lukashenka invites only his supporters [to the tours for Russian mass media], and they will write everything that is needed after drinking and eating”.

A. Lukashenka emphasized that he always asks his aides to invite to these traditional meetings with journalists “everybody, the Kommersant, and Nezavisimaya gazeta: let them come here and see our life, what is going on in reality here”.

He has also stated that representatives of provincial mass media in Russia “have never caused allergy, it is not flattery, it is easy to communicate with you for me”.

“I respect journalists very much, as they are my supporters. If there were not for journalist, nobody would know what Lukashenka wants and what he is doing”, he underlined. He specified that he had never “set a mission for journalists, and even if he gives some orientation, that’s for them to know what is going on behind the closed doors of big-time politics”. “I say what was the main issue, what was discussed, without giving details,” the Belarusian president said, adding that “editors-in-chief of large Belarusian publications have a push-button of direct connection with the president” .

As we have informed, in 2000 an ORT journalist, a former personal cameraman of Lukashenka Zmitser Zavadsky was abducted in Belarus. Since that time nothing is known about him. The international community suspects high-ranking Belarusian officials in involvement in Zavadsky’s disappearance.