OREANDA-NEWS. September 16, 2010. The state will place higher emphasis on public associations and political parties. This statement was made by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko at the 6th Congress of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB) on 16 September.

“If people and God let us keep our positions, we will communicate more often in the next five-year term,” Alexander Lukashenko said addressing the attendees. The head of state said he regrets he paid less attention to this matter earlier.

The President reminded that some time ago a thesis was put forward that councils, trade unions, youth, veterans and women’s organizations are the basis of a civil society. “No need to invent or throw us theses from abroad about the way the civil society should be and how we should understand it. We will perceive it from the point of view of our realities and interpret these things in a way that ensures peace and stability in our state,” the head of state said.

Alexander Lukashenko believes that public associations and political parties should independently determine their development path. “I am not against the development of political parties, good opposition parties, not against a leading party, but this should be determined by life. This should crystallize out of the given conditions,” the head of state said.

“In the future we will definitely pay more attention to public associations and political parties. I mean we should bring them in order in terms of legislation and structure,” the Belarusian leader said.