Sergei Sidorsky awards distinguished Belarusians

Under the instruction of the Belarus President Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky presented state awards to distinguished Belarusians on December 5. Coaches of the national disabled sport team are among the awardees. They upheld the country’s honour at the Paralympics in Beijing. Orders of Honour have been bestowed upon Sergei Punko, Tamara Sivakova, Irina Fedotova, For Labour Merits medals — Olga Zinkevich and Roman Makarov. Among the 32 people awarded on December 5 are air squadron navigator Valery Odarenko (a Medal of Valour).

For Labour Merits medals were awarded to head of the anaesthesiology and critical care medicine chair of the Grodno State Medical University Vladimir Spas, a Frantsisk Skorina medal — ballet artist of the Belarusian State Choreographic Ensemble Khoroshki Alesya Kuryan. OAO MAPID colourer Nina Lipai has been awarded a For Labour Merits medal.

The Prime Minister congratulated the distinguished Belarusians on the esteemed state awards.

Addressing the awardees in their solemn moment, the head of Government could not avoid the topic of the world financial crisis. “This year has been a complicated one for Belarus. It has brought many disappointments due to what is going on in the world. These processes are hard to forecast and predict how all of it will end,” said the Prime Minister. This is why labour, dedication of the people, their desire to be useful for themselves, their families and the society are becoming the key idea in Belarus, noted Sergei Sidorsky. In view of the global economic crisis sport and labour victories and merits of everyone are worth an appreciation. “It instils confidence that we are following the right way,” said the Prime Minister.

Sergei Sidorsky was confident, in the future each awardee will prove not once that “hard-working people, who can embellish the motherland with their labour, live in Belarus”.