I welcome the eagerness of young people to work and take the initiative, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said when speaking at the national gala for university graduates, BelTA has learned.

"I see the eagerness of young generation to work productively and take the initiative. I welcome this. After all, it will be you who will harness new technologies, develop manufactures and services industry, raise the Belarusian culture and science to the leading positions in the world," Alexander Lukashenko said.

It is symbolic that the graduates begin their professional careers in the first year of a new five-year plan, of which the country has high expectations, Alexander Lukashenko noted. The state relies on young people. "Therefore, youth policy is listed as one of the key priorities in the social and economic development program for 2016-2020 which was recently adopted," the head of state said.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, the state cares about the future of young people and does a lot in this regard, for example provides the first workplace assignment. "Not every state can afford this. We, too, had heated debates lately on what we should do in this regard as we faced serious economic challenges. Some suggested giving up on this practice saying that university graduates should be left on their own. I was totally against this. We decided to preserve this opportunity for all of you to get a job and to work. But the rest is on you," the President said.

The President added that the graduates have a very important stage of professional development ahead. It will be a test of what they have learned and how they will use their knowledge in practice. "From now on it will be not grades in your students' record books that will determine your success but your labor achievements," the Belarusian leader said.

BELARUSIAN NEWS