Presidential press secretary Natalya Eismant offered an explanation for the repeated disappearances of Alyaksandr Lukashenka from public view. She said they are connected to briefings that are not always covered in the media.
“I would like to put all the dots over the i’s regarding this issue. Nothing extraordinary, unusual, or unfamiliar. The format of briefings to the president is a process that has been going on constantly for a long time. Some briefings are covered by you and other media outlets, some we provide in a purely thematic format. But this is also a very important process, so that the whole country hears and understands what is being reported to the president and what the president instructs afterwards. This is the main goal of such work.”
“And, naturally, there are briefings that we do not report widely in the media. Moreover, I can immediately say that there are far more of such briefings than those we cover publicly. This is the work that the president conducts continuously,” she added.
The press secretary insisted that during Lukashenka’s recent foreign tour he “was fully informed of everything”, communicating with various officials via special mobile communication.
“But these were, of course, operational briefings — those requiring the president’s attention at a given moment. Naturally, no one disturbed the president abroad with general issues: there was a huge amount of work he was handling there,” Eismant said.
Upon returning to Belarus, Lukashenka immediately resumed work, she claimed.
“Throughout Monday — we heard the president announce the new head of the State Border Committee — the president had the working console switched on the entire day: he worked and listened to reports from various officials. I don’t know everything, of course, but I know for sure that the president spoke for a long time with the prime minister. He chairs the organising committee of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly. The president heard reports from the leadership of all main security structures and our military institutions. The situation — that is the most important thing. The president also listened to the political headquarters, including the prime minister, not only on preparations for the Assembly but on all other urgent matters. Year-end, economy — many important issues that the prime minister always reports on, along with several sectoral ministers. This is what I know about Monday’s and Wednesday’s agenda,” she said.
According to Eismant, Lukashenka is now deeply engaged in preparing the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, scheduled for 18–19 December.
“As chair of the Assembly, the president will naturally deliver an address — something everyone is waiting for. Everyone understands the sharpness of the moment, everyone understands the importance of this presidential speech — a programmatic, fundamental speech. It will definitely be such, and of course the president knows this better than anyone; he is already working on it. And, of course, overall — he is presiding over what this All-Belarusian People’s Assembly will be. This is the most important political event for us, and we have no doubt the entire world will be watching,” Eismant said.