In today's world, the size of a country is determined not by its area, but by its intellectual potential and technological capabilities, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he visited Planar on 30 January, BelTA has learned.
The head of state emphasized that the technologies, equipment, and products of the enterprise are unique, with such capabilities found in only five countries worldwide: the USA, Japan, Germany, Sweden and Belarus.
“And you say that Belarus is small. It is not so small,” the president remarked. “Today, a state's size is not defined by its land area, but rather by the level of intelligence and technological advancement. We know how to do this.”
At the same time, this is no reason to stop at what has been achieved. “We must move faster. If we stop, those behind us will overtake us,” Aleksandr Lukashenko warned. “If we don’t speed up, there will be no result. It is not because I want it this way or keep pushing you. The point is that we don’t have vast reserves of rare earth metals, materials, and other resources, which are in high demand today. We also don’t have the amount of natural gas and oil that even major leading countries like the United States are fighting over.”
“Behind all this lies resources: natural and mineral. Above all, oil. We don’t have it. We are proud to have smart people and advanced technologies, but these advanced technologies require us to run faster and think ahead, so that others don’t overtake us. There is nothing to fall back on. We have no oil,” the president stressed.
He noted that even having oil in today’s world does not guarantee successful national development: it is no longer sufficient. “That’s why we must keep running,” he said.
“Know this: no one will give you anything. There will always be those who want to take what you have, even among friends. That is why you must rely on yourselves, on your own. Produce your own, so that not only we, but also our children and grandchildren can live and work on this land,” Aleksandr Lukashenko urged.
