President presents state awards, shoulder straps to high-ranking military officers

Traditional and important event at the Palace of Independence. On the eve of the main male holiday — the Day of Defenders of the Fatherland and the Armed Forces — the President presented state awards and shoulder straps to high-ranking military officers. Addressing the audience, Aleksandr Lukashenko said: "We see how our former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition are persistently drawing an arc of instability instead of a belt of good-neighbourliness on the western borders of Belarus. The conclusion is the same: we need to be strong, vigilant and strengthen the defence capability of the State as much as possible. That is what we are constantly doing". The profession of defending the Motherland will be relevant and in demand for a long time to come, said the Belarusian leader.