From my point of view, this is the best time of the year. I don't love heat. I'm a winter guy.
Alexander Lukashenko
It's better to be a dictator than gay.
American envoys came to see me before the crisis in Iraq and asked me to say that there were nuclear weapons in Iraq. I refused. They even told me that things would go well for Belarus in terms of investments, etc. All I had to do was to support them. I told them that I couldn't do it because I knew that there were no nuclear weapons there.
My position and the state will never allow me to become a dictator, but an authoritarian ruling style is characteristic of me.
There are some people bent on blowing up the situation in the country. I call them the fifth column. They are not an opposition. They want to stage a rebellion in the country. Their dream is to topple the government and overthrow the president.
There are dictators a bit worse than me, no? I'm the lesser evil already.
An authoritarian style of rule is characteristic of me, and I have always admitted it.
Dictators don't come from elections.
Americans want to democratise us. OK, but why not go and democratise Saudi Arabia. Are we anything like Saudi Arabia? No, we are far from that. So why aren't they democratising Saudi Arabia? Because they are bastards, but they are their bastards.
I have only you, the people of Belarus, and I will serve to the last of my days.
No matter who comes to Belarusian land, I will fight. Even if it is Putin.
Unlike in the U.K. or France or America, we've never used water cannon for mass riots dispersal.
I ask myself what is a dictator? I don't understand. It is some kind of terrible person, a bad person. But I am not frightening. I am not a bad person at all.
Who is against human rights in Belarus today? Of course, no one should view human rights as the right to smash shop windows or stir up unrest in the streets.
The basis of my politics is, first of all, fairness and honesty.
The arms business is an absolutely acceptable business.
We cannot allow any uncontrolled situation and destabilization in the country.
The history of Germany is a mold for the history of Belarus.
If we put people to work and they are busy, we will have less crime.
Permit me to be immodest, but I did something for this country.
I tried to be honest and fair, helped the talented and those in need.
I'm an advocate of evolutionary, not revolutionary, changes.
Belarus is not the Middle East. The policies of Belarussian and Middle Eastern leaders are cardinally different from one another.
You need to control the country, and the main thing is not to ruin people's lives.
We will never have Russian-style privatization.
I am sure that it is the Belarus people who are the masters in our state.
We will remain independent for as long as our economy develops as needed. We won't be able to maintain our independence if we ruin the economy.
We have always argued that attempts to isolate Belarus, like other countries, lead to a dead end. In this situation, everyone loses.
We will ensure the interests of both the East and the West in Belarus. Don't try to rip us apart; don't try to make us collide with Russia or with the West.
If you give me carte blanche for any destruction and any revolutionary transformations, if that is what you want, then for God's sake, we will do it. The issue is not me: the issue is society.
Innovations, IT technologies, privatisation - it is all clear. We've conquered all of them. But everything is, very simply, one should get undressed and work.
American democracy has two faces.
We are trying to work around the world. We would like very much to cooperate with the United States.
I am not afraid of mass media.
You know that in the Eurasian space, Russia is the central state, the most powerful state. But to become an empire, a member of some empire, a province in this empire - you know, we're probably not ready for that yet, neither in Kazakhstan nor in Belarus.
The sanctions which the West introduced against Russia seriously affect us.
It took centuries to form the German order.
I am reproached for allegedly preparing my children, my eldest son, as a successor. I swear to you I have never discussed this idea, even with my family or with my sons.
We have fulfilled all our agreements and all the conditions set by the IMF better than any other state.
For the sake of calm in the country, I am ready to sacrifice my own sanity.
The Belarussian people trust their army and are confident in the reliability of the national security system.
Belarus is not a superpower, but we pay a lot of attention to sports.
I repeat for the umpteenth time, without making apologies: My children have had more than their fair share of presidency under their father. There cannot be any hereditary transfer of power.
We are a peace-loving people.
During the years of my presidency, I lived a tough and difficult life.
We are not a gigantic state, we do not have nuclear weapons, but our army is sufficiently capable to respond to any threat... Therefore, we will protect our patch of land, our statehood, and our independence.
We will not have Americans telling us what to do... We cannot be brought to our knees.
There is no scope for revolutions coming to Belarus.
I have never moved away from my promises to people.
As soon as people decline my services, I'll put my briefcase under my arm, and I'll be off.
