Updated at 14:26,02-12-2024

Russian Ambassador: Russian will support Lukashenka

Tamara Savich, Euroradio

Alexander Surikov announced it at a press conference in Minsk.

At the presidential election in Belarus, Russia will support Alyaksandr Lukashenka. The Russian ambassador to Belarus, Alexander Surikov, said so at a press conference in Minsk.

"We do not have the right to openly participate in the campaign, but we will support Lukashenka, said Surikov. I'm not saying that you need to put a monument to him, but Belarus should be grateful to this very President of Belarus. Today, the country is facing difficulties. But the authorities have shown that they are able to overcome the fear... Nothing like that has been shown by the opposition candidates (and I know all about them) They have nothing to present but slogans."

Mr Surikov has no doubt that the Belarusian leader will go to the polls. The ambassador said so answering a question from Euroradio.

"I have no doubt that Mr Lukashenka will take part in the elections, and he said so himself during his latest appeal to the people. And as I already said, Russia will support Mr Lukashenka," said Alexander Surikov.

Yesterday, it was announced that the presidential elections in Belarus may be held on 11 October 2015.

Yesterday, in the commentary to the Euroradio, the former Chairman of the Belteleradio Alyaksandr Zimouski said that the Russian elite decided to help Lukashenka to "comfortably win the elections."