Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko arrived at the Palace of the Republic to address the annual Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly, BelTA reported.

A feature of this year is that the Address will not be delivered in the Oval Hall of the Government House, but in the Palace of the Republic. More than 2.5 thousand people from all over Belarus were invited to the event. Traditionally, it is attended by deputies of the House of Representatives and members of the Council of the Republic, senior officials of the country, members of the government, heads of state administration bodies, local authorities. Also invited are parliamentarians of past convocations, representatives of public associations, religious confessions, diplomatic corps and international organizations, heads of banks, higher educational institutions, media, experts.

The event is broadcast live by the National State TV and Radio Company.

Earlier, the head of state stated that the Message originally planned for mid-April was postponed primarily due to the uncertainty of the situation in the world against the backdrop of the pandemic and what impact it will have on Belarus. “A block of questions that we cannot answer today. And if we answer, then only with some kind of forecast. And we need an accurate forecast. It cannot be given today. Therefore, it takes some time to analyze all the processes taking place in the country and abroad, and then say something to the people,” Alexander Lukashenko said in April this year during one of his working trips to the regions.