Title: Belarus President Plans to Run for New Term

The official news agency in Belarus (BelTA) reported on Sunday that President Alexander Lukashenko announced he will run for a new term in the 2025 elections. Lukashenko told reporters at a polling station after casting his vote in the parliamentary and local council elections, "Tell them (the exiled opposition) that I will run." He added, "There is no responsible president who abandons his people who stood by him in battle." Lukashenko (69 years old) has ruled Belarus since 1994 and is one of the closest allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin. BelTA quoted Lukashenko saying, "We are still a year away from the presidential elections. Many things can change." He stated, "Naturally, I and all of us, society, will react to the changes that will occur in our society and the situation until the elections in a year."