29 November, Minsk /BELTA/. Belarus has established itself as a strong independent state. This was stated today during an online conference "What do Belarusians think about life and the country? Sociologists' answers" on the website of the Belarusian Telegraph Agency by Igor Kotlyarov, Director of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences. "Overall, over 20 years of work, we have reached the conclusion: Belarus has established itself as an independent state, it is a truly strong state that is respected worldwide. In this case, we rely on the results of sociological research," the expert emphasized. Currently, the Institute of Sociology is conducting another study, the results of which will be presented in a week to a week and a half. The last survey, the results of which have already been published, was conducted in March. "Comparing its results with the results of studies by other sociological services in the post-Soviet space, we have concluded that Belarus is the most stable state, developing at a rapid pace," said Igor Kotlyarov. Speaking about the large-scale monitoring of the socio-political situation in the country, carried out by the institute twice a year for 20 years, the director of the institute noted that the research is based on a specially developed methodology. Respondents answer questions using a questionnaire consisting of two parts: two-thirds are so-called permanent questions, and one-third are situational. Answers to permanent questions make it possible to a certain extent to predict changes in the socio-political situation. The remaining questions are formulated depending on what interests and concerns Belarusians at the moment. "We always get quite interesting answers. And, it must be said, very diverse ones. We try to convey the answers to a wide audience. They are posted on our website, actively published in the media, and used in scientific research," said Igor Kotlyarov.-0-

BELTA