Lukashenko at CIS summit: We cannot lose the Russian language, it is our greatest treasure

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has expressed support for establishing an international organization for promoting the Russian language. Discussion about the relevant agreement is part of the agenda of the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, BelTA has learned.

In his speech Aleksandr Lukashenko described the initiative of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for establishing an international organization for promoting the Russian language as timely and in demand.

“You know, all of us speak Russian today, this is why we don't feel this colossal problem so acutely. But look at the young people in our republics. Many speak Russian worse than they speak English and other languages. [Mastery of the Russian language] is our greatest treasure. If we let things slide, we may end up having to hire an interpreter in order to communicate,” the Belarusian leader stated. “We cannot lose the language of interethnic communication as they call it. And after all, I don't understand why we should lose it. Does it harm us, our generation? It doesn't. It should not harm the generation of our kids either. It is our treasure.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that he has always said that the Russian language is not Russia's language: “It is our common language. We lived as one country for a long time. Proceeding from the concept that the language is a live thing that develops in creative ways, we also developed this Russian language together. There is a bit of Azerbaijanis, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and so on in this language. This is why why are we losing the Russian language?”

The president remarked that he is rejoiced by the trend in ex-Soviet Central Asia countries, including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, where new schools and universities open and use Russian as the language of instruction.

“But more needs to be done. This is why this initiative concerning the Russian language is as important as some economic initiative. The situation with the Russian language is a disaster in [countries of] the former Warsaw Pact. Unlike them we don't want our young people to communicate with each other via an interpreter or only in English as I've already said,” the Belarusian leader stressed.