Belarusian Foreign Minister: The Country Needs Changes but Not at the Cost of Civil Confrontation or Revolutions

Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei has stated that changes are needed in the country, but they should not be achieved through civil confrontation or revolutions, as reported by ria.ru.

“Changes are necessary, no one denies that. But not at the cost of civil confrontation or revolutions. In that case, the casualties and negative consequences will be several times greater. Due to the events of recent days, we have already been pushed back in our development by many years,” Makei's statement, published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website, reads.

It is important to recall that protests and strikes have been ongoing in Belarus since the presidential elections on August 9, where incumbent president Alexander Lukashenko won with 80 percent of the vote.

During the initial days, security forces used force and special measures against activists. According to official data, around 7,000 people have been arrested. The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that hundreds of people were injured during the unrest. The deaths of three individuals have been officially confirmed.