14 April, Minsk /Alina Grishkevich - BELTA/. Secular and spiritual authorities must become full partners. This opinion was expressed by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko today at a meeting with members of the Synod of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, BELTA correspondent reports. The head of state noted the important role of the church in maintaining interethnic and confessional peace, and respectful attitude towards the spiritual diversity of the peoples of Belarus. "Today, your civic position and pastoral word are called upon to contribute to strengthening stability and tranquility in society," the President said. According to him, the modern history of independent Belarus has become a time of revival and active development of the Orthodox Church. And the state has made a considerable contribution to this. With the exception of Russia, nowhere else in the world do Orthodox organizations have such strong and systemic support as in Belarus. Alexander Lukashenko stated that the state "is and will always meet the church halfway in everything, of course, based on economic opportunities." Our interaction needs to be transformed into mutually beneficial cooperation. Secular and spiritual authorities must become full partners. The Belarusian Orthodox Church is called upon to live by the interests of the country, using all its connections and international authority for their protection, if necessary. Its voice should be heard more clearly when the situation demands it, said Alexander Lukashenko. He noted that the opinion and views of the church on many contemporary processes are important for the state. "I think that together we will find solutions to the most complex issues. Both we and the church need activation. We must act promptly, quickly, sometimes ahead of events, not trailing behind them. We have work to do in this direction," the President said. -0-

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