Yanina Suchevskaya, a physician-methodologist at the office of organizational-methodological work, accounting, and medical statistics of the Lida Central Regional Hospital, delegate of the First All-Belarusian People's Assembly:

– That was in 1996. At the time, I was the chief physician of the Lida Central Regional Polyclinic, and it was a great honor to be chosen as a delegate from the Lida district (the city and the district were then separate administrative-territorial units). Up to that moment, I had never participated in events of such a grand scale. The largest event I had attended before was the Union Congress of Therapists in Tashkent. Therefore, the All-Belarusian People's Assembly literally amazed me with its scope.

When the huge hall filled with people, I was struck by the ringing silence. Thousands of people froze in anticipation of the President. And then he simply and swiftly appeared on the podium. The hall erupted in ovations – the emotions of the people were overwhelming. Then absolute silence fell again: the delegates caught every word, fully immersed in what was happening.

The time then was extremely difficult: there was a deficit, uncertainty. But it was at that first assembly that important, fate-deciding decisions on the country's development were made. And even then, the main guideline was clearly defined – social. The state turned to the person, to his everyday needs and requirements. Special emphasis was placed on developing exports – we needed to trade, earn, and grow.

Later, during the breaks and on the way home in the bus, we heatedly discussed what we had heard. We talked about the ambitious, bold goals set before us. And, to be honest, deep down, some harbored doubts: would it all work out? Could we raise the bar so high? But today, years later, we see that it has worked out! With each new All-Belarusian People's Assembly, the plans become only grander, and the tasks bolder. We see with our own eyes how dynamically Belarus is developing and how the highest goals are consistently achieved.

Naturally, as a physician, the topic of medicine worried me the most, since the state's social policy was paramount. To preserve sovereign Belarus, it was necessary to preserve and multiply its people. And for this, a strong, solid foundation of healthcare was required.

Demographic goals were declared a priority, since life expectancy at that time was significantly lower than today.

Looking back now, I understand that the All-Belarusian People's Assembly has become a truly powerful, functioning political instrument, and the path chosen then was absolutely correct. Today, the All-Belarusian People's Assembly operates under a new, constitutional status, but its main tasks remain unchanged.

Every year