Belarus has celebrated the main state holiday — Independence Day — with festivities taking place across the country and concentrating in the capital. The celebrations started with a spectacular military parade featuring 6,000 soldiers, over 500 machinery units and 60 aircrafts. The number of participants was doubled compared to last year.
Speaking at the parade, President Alexander Lukashenko stressed that Belarus stood for a policy of peace, reliance on diplomacy and the resolution of disagreements and disputes at the negotiating table. According to the President, Belarus has succeeded as an independent state pursuing a peaceful multivector foreign policy. The country’s unchanging principle is the equality of all states and their non-interference in each other's internal affairs. Belarus stands for solving any international conflicts at the negotiating table. In view of growing global instability and international security challenges, Belarus relies on its modern army, which is constantly being modernized and is mobile, trained and armed.
The foot-born column featured 20 crews representing 30 formations and units and 5 education institutions. Tanks and various types and models of combat vehicles, as well as unmanned vehicles, demonstrated at the parade emphasized Belarus’ defense potential. The aircraft parade featured helicopters, attack aircrafts, rescue helicopters, different types of airplanes and fighters.
A spectacular part of the program was a parade of a composite Honor Guard company.
The civilian machinery column demonstrated the power of Belarus’ mechanical engineering industry, Gomselmash, Amkodor, MAZ, BelAZ and other companies presenting their best equipment.
The celebrations were complemented with a vocal and choreographic performance involving a total of 2,500 people.
