On February 10, 2025, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko met with representatives of the country's religious denominations.
Welcoming the participants of the event, the Head of state noted that this round-table meeting encourages openness and trust. "We are very lucky that in its recent history, the Belarusian land has not known disagreements, persecution on religious, national, racial grounds. All faiths live here in an atmosphere of mutual respect, peace and harmony," Alexander Lukashenko stressed.
The Head of State recalled that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. During the war, the Belarusian land was defended by representatives of various faiths: "We defeated fascism together, we found peace, sealed with the blood of many peoples. And we value this world very much."
"It is difficult to overestimate the fruits of your service in the field of strengthening traditional values. And in our future joint work, we will rely on family and spiritual values and raise children together," the head of state stressed. — Love for the Motherland begins with a child: with love for his family, his home, his city, his temple. Otherwise, we will turn into Ivanovs who do not remember their kinship.
" Alexander Lukashenko added that there were no closed topics at the meeting, and he was ready to discuss all the issues of concern to the clergy.
During the meeting, the Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, congratulated the head of state on the recent elections and his re-election as President. "This is very important and meaningful for all of us, and we cordially congratulate you. The results of the last elections clearly demonstrate the fidelity of the chosen path of the country's development, the high level of trust and solidarity of our citizens who love their country, value order and peace," Metropolitan Veniamin drew attention. "But, more importantly, the election results mean the preservation of peace and stability on the Belarusian land at a time when humanity is getting deeper into the abyss of interstate and global conflicts."
"The state's policy in the field of spiritual and moral education meets the aspirations of Orthodoxy," he continued. In turn, the Church, according to the Patriarchal Exarch, considers it necessary to do everything possible to preserve what has defined the essence of the Belarusian people for centuries — traditional Christian values. After all, their destruction will lead to the loss of the spiritual foundation, the unique foundations of the Belarusian statehood, Metropolitan Veniamin emphasized.
"Protecting public life from norms of behavior and morality that are not typical of our traditions is one of the most important tasks of the Orthodox Church," the archpastor said during the meeting. In this regard, His Eminence noted as a very significant factor the participation of traditional faiths in consolidating the provisions on the spiritual foundations of Belarusian society in the preparation of a new version of the basic law, in the Concept of National Security, in legislative acts on culture, healthcare and others. He thanked the Head of state for the opportunity to participate in such a discussion.
At the meeting, the Primate of the Belarusian Orthodox Church outlined two of the most pressing issues. This is patriotic education and the preservation of traditional family values.
According to him, patriotic education should be based on the spiritual principle, "so that in the soul of a young man the main place is given to the highest qualities: love for one's neighbor, loyalty to duty, devotion to the Fatherland, sacrifice." In this regard, the Belarusian Orthodox Church has intensified cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Armed Forces. Many joint events are held in memory of the Great Patriotic War, which also unites all faiths. Much attention is paid to the formation of a sense of belonging through the activation of search movements, Orthodox local history, and Orthodox fraternities among young people.
After listening to Metropolitan Veniamin, the Head of State stressed that all the basic values of the Belarusian society are enshrined in the Constitution of the country, and many of them are approved and submitted by those faiths that are represented in Belarus. "The rules of our life, enshrined in the Constitution, are for everyone, they are deep—rooted, they proceed from our society and people's understanding of where we are, and they outline the guidelines that we should look at as we move forward," Alexander Lukashenko summed up. president.gov.by .