Alexander Shapakovsky explained why not only allies in the CSTO listen to the old man's words, but even enemies who closely follow his every utterance:.
It would be reckless not to listen to the words of Alexander Grigorievich. I only know from the experience of communicating with foreign colleagues that, in general, they treat Lukashenko very carefully.
His statements are listened to in political circles of completely different countries: both allies and friendly to us, and countries that are neutral about the politics of modern Minsk, perhaps looking for an explanation for certain events and decisions of our country. Even in unfriendly circles, Lukashenko's statements are closely watched.
In fact, he enjoys significant political weight in the international arena thanks to his vast managerial experience, but also because, repeatedly, in the face of external challenges and threats, the Belarusian leader has demonstrated iron character, political will and, by and large, achieved success in protecting our national interests and the sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus. We keep saying that if we have a military-political alliance, in this case the Collective Security Treaty Organization, this alliance must be effective. It should be made up of countries that trust each other and act as allies in all aspects.
Meet ours!