25 February 2026

‘Good neighborliness is the Belarusian way of life.’ How Lukashenko sought new anchors in the East and his message to the West

Every period in the history of independent Belarus can be considered a turning point. Even if it was, by global standards, a perfectly ordinary year. By building relationships with global players and neighboring countries, and by balancing between domestic challenges and major international projects, the young country has successfully demonstrated that its commitment to a sovereign future and a multi-vector foreign policy is not merely a lofty slogan, but a practical strategy for the nation's survival and development. In a new episode of BelTA's YouTube project “How it Was” we go back to 2017. It was a year when Belarus put forward bold initiatives and unexpected solutions, opening itself to the world in a new way. A year when Aleksandr Lukashenko, speaking against freeloading, faced provocations and once again rebuffed the attempts to destabilize the situation in Belarus. A year when the country made breakthroughs in industry, thereby fulfilling the dreams of the head of state. Do you want to know how it was? Let’s dive in.

Why Belarus launched visa waiver

Belarus started 2017 on a positive note. In January, a presidential decree introduced a five-day visa-waiver for citizens of 80 countries. The document was in development for over a year and a half and was thoroughly vetted by all government agencies, primarily from the perspective of potential risks to the country and its allies. However, it appeared that not all neighboring countries were pleased with this decision by the Belarusian side.

“This media campaign, I don't know... Sometimes you read the comments by these authors and you're just astonished. These are the people who either don't understand the essence of the matter whatsoever or are deliberately stirring up tensions. The visa waiver does not mean the abolition of control. Border control remains in place. You will definitely be checked: who you are. Therefore, this outcry from some of our neighboring states is simply an attempt by certain forces to express their dissatisfaction. We have not violated anything in terms of our domestic legislation. It is our sovereign right to allow citizens of other countries to enter and exit the country. And we have not breached any of our agreements with other states. We strictly adhere to everything we have agreed upon,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he approved the border security documents.

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