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Lukashenka lauds outgoing legislature

Alyaksandr Lukashenka lavished praise on the outgoing National Assembly while speaking at its final meeting in Minsk on October 11, BelaPAN said.

The Belarusian leader described the four-year term of the outgoing House of Representatives and Council of the Republic as a "difficult period."

"Crisis phenomena in the economy reached Belarus," he said. "Our external and domestic ill-wishers constantly attacked the state, trying to destroy the main achievement of the last decade - stability, peace and concord in society. We have overcome that, thanks in part to the legislature."

He described the National Assembly as "political stability's vital support" and lauded it for "cementing the unity of the government and the public, creating legislative conditions for the implementation of our state's strategic course in a calm, wise fashion."

Mr. Lukashenka said that the National Assembly had passed more than 430 laws over the past four years. "The laws approved by you help develop the economy, improve people's lives, defend their interests," he stressed.

Mr. Lukashenka played up what he called an efficient mechanism of cooperation between the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers and the Presidential Administration.

He praised the National Assembly for approving bills without delay. "I believe it is the lawmakers' coherent and prompt work that has made it possible in large part to solve key tasks of securing a fairly high rate of economic development, social concord and stability in society against the backdrop of crisis phenomena in the global economy," he said.