Makei: It is mean and blasphemous to accuse Belarus of 'anti-Russification'

Reproaching Belarus for 'anti-Russification' is mean and blasphemous, Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makei told reporters at a news briefing on April 8 in Moscow. He responded to a request to comment on the statements by several Russian experts that nationalist and anti-Russian sentiment is on the rise in Belarus.

"Reproaches of this kind are blasphemous with regard to our common history and the people, because we always looked at Russia as the closest state to us," BelaPAN quotes Makei as saying.

The minister also reminded that Belarus has two state languages, which have the equal status. "The Belarusian language is the language of our nation. We need to develop it rather than forgetting it," Makei stated.

Responding to the question on whether the demolition of Soviet monuments could be possible like currently in Poland, Makei said "it is not taking place and is impossible." He stressed that in even in the 1990s when Soviet monuments were destroyed even in Russia, not a single monument was removed in Belarus. "It is not the monuments to blame for what happened and is happening in any country. Let the monuments stand to educate the younger generations. We are not going to destroy any monuments," Makei said.