Own Path, Not a Copy: Expert Says Belarus Built a Unique Model of Development

Belarus did not copy foreign models of national development but built its own. This allows the country to look confidently to the future, strengthen allied relations, and protect the national interests of the sovereign Belarusian state.

This view was shared by Nikita Belenchenko, Director of the Center for International Studies at the Faculty of International Relations of Belarusian State University.

According to him, amid the crisis of representative democracy and the decline in trust in state institutions in many countries, Belarus has proposed its own mechanism for citizen participation in determining the country’s strategic course.

The expert noted that this is not a carbon copy of foreign models but Belarusian experience based on broad public representation, direct dialogue between the state and society, and collective responsibility for the country’s future. That is why the decisions of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly carry not only political but also deep public significance — key issues are discussed with the wide participation of representatives of society.

“In my view, this is precisely the main outcome of Belarusian independence. Over these years, Belarus did not try to copy other models of development; it consistently built its own. And today this allows us to look confidently to the future, preserve historical memory, strengthen allied relations, protect national interests, and steadily develop the sovereign Belarusian state,” Nikita Belenchenko stated.