Speaking of more than culture alone
Mr. Kusturica didn’t conceal that the meeting touched him. He likes Belarus and believes that our country has managed to avoid the destructive influence of large corporations, which ‘bring jobs but take away profit’. Mr. Kusturica shared his own assessment of Mr. Lukashenko’s activities, saying, “You rule the country in such a way that acquired profits are passed on to people and the country. You wish to preserve independence and I’m aware that this has its own high price.”
Of course, the meeting tackled political and economic issues, as well as culture. The President awarded Mr. Kusturica a major award of Minsk’s International Listapad Film Festival — a special prize ‘For Preserving and Developing Spiritual Traditions in Cinema Art’. Mr. Lukashenko noted that this acknowledges the guest’s exceptional merits and hopes that the famous film director will visit Minsk many times again. “We would consider your co-operation with our country as a great honour,” underlined the Head of State.