Dear friends,

Our life is a series of meetings and partings. It seems that we have only recently celebrated the coming of the new century, and now its first decade is already drawing to its close. In several minutes, another page in the history of our country and our lives will be turned.

It is a great honour for me to be in your home at this moment and share the pleasurable feeling of anticipation of the arrival of the new year of 2010. During these minutes we all become closer to each other.

We do have things to be grateful for in the passing year. Someone has given birth to a child, someone has celebrated house-warming, someone has entered a higher educational institution, has started their own business.

However, not everything that was planned has been accomplished. But the chiming of the clock, like a rising wave, will wash away all the troubles and leave only good memories.

The same is true about the country as a whole. Because Belarus is us!

We have had a tough year. We have seen what a little place the world is and how closely countries and continents are linked with each other. It is enough to sever one of the linking threads and the entire world goes haywire.

The Belarusians have also felt the impact of the crisis which tested their firmness. But it has only made us stronger. Once again those who predicted our inevitable collapse have been proven wrong.

It is symbolic that we have turned the corner in the Year of the Native Land.

The harsh conditions have revealed the best qualities of our people: diligence, confidence in their forces, discretion, ability to surmount difficulties.

We have got used to positive changes and sometimes even fail to notice them. But take a look around you: new residential areas are being built, agro-towns have breathed a new life into rural areas, well-attended crop fields and modern-day quality roads please the eye.

I would like to express my profound gratitude to our people. To those who, following the popular wisdom that by doing nothing you get nowhere, started to work in a new way, with more energy in the fashion of the time.

Thank you for the rich harvest, for the first tonnes of oil produced outside our country, for millions of square metres of new housing, for the unique surgical operations and for saving the sick, for taking good care of our children in kindergartens and schools, for serving with loyalty and courage, for new achievements in culture and sport.

Just like 65 years ago, the Belarusian people remain strong in spirit and loyal to their native land which they have repeatedly raised from the ashes and loved unconditionally.

Dear compatriots ,

Crises come and go; we stay.

We are already devising ambitious, though realistic, plans. Next year we will be making decisive steps forward, concentrating on the new promising areas of advancement.

In other words, we will have to create tirelessly!

The year 2010 has been declared the Year of Quality. It means that everything possible and even impossible will be made to make further improvements in the quality of life of the people; to make sure the “Made in Belarus” mark commands respect; to inspire Belarusian scientists to amaze the world by making new discoveries; to help that our talented individuals gain their victories.

But as for now, following the tradition, let us bid the passing year the farewell it deserves; let us see it off without resentment and ill feelings; let us wish for everybody’s peace and wellbeing.

Although a person’s happiness is a complex thing, it can actually be expressed in several wise and simple words: to build a house, plant a tree and bring up children.

May each of you be given this magnificent present – happiness.

My dear countrymen,

Belarus is our common home, and it depends on us whether our life in it is successful.

It is only together, by supporting each other, that we can make our unique and incomparable Belarus the cosiest and safest place in the world, where children are happy and elderly people are taken good care of, where everyone experiences love, happiness and wellbeing.

On a New Year’s night, tell your loved ones how dear they are to you and how much you need them.

Give smiles to each other.

Love and cherish every day of your life.

And remember: every storm blows itself out eventually, and then the sun comes shining through. May it always give its warmth to your homes and your hearts.

I send my greetings to everyone who is celebrating this holiday at home.

My special greetings go to those who are now at work or doing military service.

I send my best wishes to those Belarusians who live far away from their Motherland and to our foreign friends.

Sitting in front of beautifully decorated Christmas trees, we make wishes. I sincerely hope that they will come true in the coming year.

I am convinced that the three all-time values will remain unchanged for all generations of the Belarusians.

Faith in the future of the dear Belarus!

Hope for happiness!

Love of your families and of our Fatherland!

Be happy, dear friends!

I wish you health, wellbeing and luck!

Happy New Year!