Academician Radzim Haretsky: “President must know languages, and firstly Belarusian”

• 17.09.2010, 13:23

Lukashenka’s regime is an anti-Belarusian regime, it eradicates Belarusians and Belarusian language.

“Out of all presidential candidates we have now, that Andrei Sannikov is the best candidature in many respects, as it seems to me. Firstly, he is in the prime of life: both physical and moral. Secondly, he is an educated high-brow intellectual, who knows many languages: English, French, Polish, and what it most important, Belarusian. What is frightening for me in the current regime is that the regime headed by Lukashenka is anti-Belarusian; it eradicates Belarusians and Belarusian language. Over the last 10 years, according the information we have, 20% of Belarusians ceased to speak Belarusian, do not consider it their native language. If this trend continues, in three decades not a single Belarusian will remain in Belarus. If a person does not speak the mother tongue, he is simply a Russian-speaking inhabitant of this country.

Thank God, Sannikov speaks Belarusian brilliantly, he will support everything Belarusian. His other advantages: he is a wonderful organizer; he has knowledge about politics and economy. Sannikov’s career is known to everyone, he had been working as a diplomat in different positions for many years. And though he was an official, he remained a principled person. When he realized that the policy is conducted in the way detrimental for the country, he resigned. It is one more great plus of Sannikov, adhering to principles. He is widely known as a diplomat, as an oppositional figure, both in the CIS and in the EU and the US, where he worked as well. So, to my mind, Andrei Sannikov is the best candidature for the position of the president,” noted the Academician, Doctor of Science (mineralogy and geology), former Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences Radzim Haretski in an interview to charter97.org.