Foreign Press on Belarus: Harvest Plans, Border Security, and Foreign Workers

From harvest plans to the situation at the Belarusian border and relations with global partners — what else has drawn the attention of foreign media?

Neighboring countries could not ignore the proposed First's mechanism for the effective re-education of negligent workers: from harvest duties straight to the army.

📰Kyiv Post 🇺🇦: Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko stated that workers showing poor performance during harvest (as well as officials) should be sent to the army to guard the border with Ukraine — amid Minsk's mobilization efforts to collect a bountiful harvest.

📰Interia 🇵🇱: Anyone who "performs their work poorly or fails to observe labor discipline" will be sent to the Ukrainian border after a week of training, ordered Alexander Lukashenko.

Media also highlight Belarusian statements regarding the situation at its border with Ukraine.

📰Caliber 🇦🇿: Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin denied reports that the country is constructing fortifications on its border with Ukraine. According to Khrenin, such claims are part of an information campaign aimed at creating tension between Belarus and Ukraine. He emphasized that they are untrue. The defense minister also explained that bridge reconstructions, road repairs, and infrastructure development in Polesie are part of a state program and are not related to military preparations.

Uzbek media provided detailed coverage of their citizens' work in Belarus — a topic widely discussed in Belarusian information space.

📰Podrobno_uz 🇺🇿: According to the Belarusian leader, Uzbek citizens will produce agricultural goods intended for supply to the Uzbek market. Wages will depend on labor productivity and volume of output. Workers from Uzbekistan are also promised access to healthcare and education on the same terms as Belarusian citizens. Local authorities and enterprises will independently decide on hiring foreign workers.

Global media continued analyzing Belarus-China relations, prompted by foreign ministers' talks and Belarus joining the founding states of the World Organization for AI Cooperation.

📰Xinhua 🇨🇳: Mutual support is an essential element of the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Belarus. China opposes external interference in Belarus’s internal affairs under any pretext.

📰Reuters 🇬🇧: Wang Yi told Ryabkov that China highly values Belarus’s "unwavering support" on issues concerning its core interests. China advocates strengthening security cooperation with Belarus and preparing for the establishment of the SCO Development Bank.

Chinese media also covered talks between Belarusian leadership and representatives of the League of Arab States.

📰People's Daily 🇨🇳: The President of Belarus expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with Arab League countries. Lukashenko noted the importance of Belarus’s relations with all Arab countries reaching the same level as with the UAE, Egypt, Libya, and Jordan. He also emphasized that parliamentary cooperation plays a significant role in building close friendly relations, which should be based on the economy.