Interview with H.E. Mr Andrei Rzheussky

                                                            Ambassador of Belarus to India

In July the Republic of Belarus celebrates National Holiday-the Independence Day. What does the National Day of the Republic of Belarus mean to you?

The people of the Republic of Belarus marked the National day—the Independence Day of Belarus ?n 3rd July. This day is associated with the liberation of Minsk, capital of Belarus, from fascism on 3rd July 1944 and with the liberation of the entire territory of the ?ountry from fascist invaders. This year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus.

The days of the Great Patriotic War (GPW) of 1941-1945 (major battlefield of World War II) became the most tragic period throughout the entire history of the Republic of Belarus. Being totally occupied by the foreign invaders, Belarusian people never stopped fighting continuously showing examples of staunchness and self-sacrifice. They struggled in the rows of the Red Army, in partisan detachments and underground resistance groups.

Victory over the enemy in GPW was achieved at the cost of great sacrifice and huge loss of lives amongst the Belarusian people. The figure of the financial damage caused by the war was 35 times higher of the entire Belarusian budget for pre-war year of 1940. Over 1.4 million citizens were killed in the territory of Belarus in more than 260 places of forced detention or so called concentration camps. Nearly every third citizen of Belarus died in the war. Today numerous monuments in each city, town and village of Belarus are silent reminders of those terrible times.

Being part of the Soviet Union, Belarus alongside with other independent nations became a founding member of the UN as a reward to its noticeable contribution to the victory in WW II. The Belarusians survived as a nation. Today Belarus plays its own constructive role at the international arena. Thanks to the multi-vectoral policy, we have achieved a new perception of the Republic of Belarus in the world as an independent, peace-loving state, a kind of security donor in the region. Belarus is the initiator and co-author of various initiatives at such important international platforms as the UN, OSCE, NAM, CIS and other equally important and authoritative regional organizations. Personally for me, the forthcoming Independence Day celebrated in the warm sunny summer day is associated with freedom and independence of my beloved country, creative peaceful work of its citizens for the benefit and progress of Belarus.