Interfaith dialogue, community environment and church participation in social processes were discussed by the President today. A meeting was held with the Head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Benjamin and Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic Natalia Kochanova.
They agreed on a personal meeting at the beginning of October during the opening ceremony of a new church in the agricultural town of Shershuny, Minsk Region. The President explained that it is necessary to discuss the problems existing in the state. Representatives of 25 religious denominations live peacefully in the country side by side. Tolerance and mutual respect for people of different religious views, as well as freedom of religion, is an invariable priority of state policy. The Belarusian Orthodox Church actively interacts with other religious trends in developing dialogue and solving significant issues of society.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus: "You know that we greatly appreciate the confessional peace that we have managed to form in a quarter of a century. I am proud that this has happened in the years when I serve our country. I appreciate it very much, it is deeply personal. You must understand that we will not give the interfaith peace that we have developed to anyone. We will always be committed to it. At the same time, when I was in church, I always said that the stronghold of this world is Orthodox Church."
Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus: "We managed to maintain this balance in all the events that have taken place and are still taking place, especially in Minsk. If at least one organization in Belarus, be it public or religious, is aimed at destroying the state, of course, I will have to react to it. As the head of state, according to the Constitution, I am obliged to defend this state, this is my first duty."
Every citizen has the right to freedom of religion, this is guaranteed by the Constitution. By the way, the basic law of the country has become the topic of today's conversation. At the same time, the state and the church are united in striving for the development of the country and the preservation of peace.
Belarusian Orthodox Church has more than 1700 religious communities, where more than 1800 clergy work. There are 1683 churches in the country, and another 190 establishments are being built now. The BOC actively interacts with other confessions and religious directions to develop interfaith dialogue and resolve important issues of society.












