He also said an opposition figure had been "eliminated" during a recent incident.
Speaking before the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, Lukashenko said Belarus ranked 48th among the world's most-visited countries — a development he used to counter what he called “the Western myth of our country's isolation and closure.”
The ranking is largely attributed to increased travel from Russia, where citizens face growing restrictions on entering many democratic nations following the invasion of Ukraine, according to Belarusian outlet Belsat.
“We are breaking the Western myth of our country’s isolation. Belarus has entered the top 50 countries most visited by tourists,” Lukashenko said in a televised speech cited by Belsat.
During the same address, Lukashenko made a vague reference to the killing of a Belarusian opposition figure, saying the individual had been “eliminated” three days prior. He did not name the person.
“They didn’t publicize the arrest of that scoundrel — the white-red-white one, as we call him,” Lukashenko said, referring to a symbol often used by the democratic opposition. “He was eliminated.”
According to Lukashenko, the individual injured three Belarusian officers, one of whom was seriously wounded. “But they protected us. That’s our youth,” he said.
(jh)
Source: Belsat, Onet