Lukashenka called himself “the smartest and most advanced”

The dictator explained why he invited only certain media to the meeting.

That is what Lukashenka claimed on 21 January at the Independence Palace as he was opening the meeting, BelTA reports.

“I will openly say: I have to hold such large-scale events with journalists, but I do not like them a lot, because this look like some kind of a lecture, - Lukashenka said. – Still, in a narrow circle of interested and well aware people these or those issues, that people care about, can be discussed in more detail and we can try and look into the near future”.

He also explained why exactly the heads of certain media were invited to the meeting. According to him, the main criteria were the influence and the authority of this or that media in society.

“When we were deciding, I said that we should look how the people react to this or that media. By many criteria we saw that these were the leading media of Belarus, whether someone like it or not, but that is what it is”, - Lukashenka explained.

Lukashenka expects an “open dialogue” from the heads of the media, who take part in today’s meeting.

“I am ready for the conversation. We will not define the format of the conversation, let’s consider that it will be a dialogue. It would not be desirable for you to ask questions, and me as the smartest and most advanced to answer them – we should avoid that. Let’s talk about the problems that people care about”, - Lukashenka summed up.

We would remind that on 21 January the dictator will meet the heads of certain Belarusian media. Among the invited there are the founder of the TUT.BY web-site Jury Zisser, the chairman of the National State Television and Radio Company Hienadz Davydzka, the director general of CTV Jury Kazijatka, the head of ONT TV channel Ryhor Kisiel, director general of the state information agency BelTA Dzmitry Zhuk, the head of a private information company BelaPAN Ales Lipaj, editor-in-chief of the Soviet Belorussia newspaper Paviel Jakubovich, editor-in-chief of the Publishing House Zviazda Aliaksandr Karlukievich, editor-in-chief of the Pressball newspaper Uladzimir Bierazhkou.

There will be no live radio- and TV broadcasting this time. The television version of the event will air at 21.00.