We accommodated their requests," Lukashenko told journalists after casting his vote in Minsk. A buffet that included a stuffed suckling pig and a cake in the shape of Belarus had been laid out in the polling station. Relations between Minsk and the West have warmed since recession-hit Belarus held a peaceful presidential election last October. "For the Belarussian authorities, this election is more an issue of foreign than domestic policy," said Denis Melyantsov, senior analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies. Seeking loans from international lenders, including $3 billion from the International Monetary Fund, Belarus has implemented cautious economic reforms such as raising the retirement age and relaxing foreign currency rules.

Source: The Star September 11, 2016 10:52 UTC