2019 marks the sixth anniversary of the official proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative by President Xi Jinping. It is also the sixth anniversary of China-Belarus comprehensive strategic partnership. Our bilateral relations have entered a new stage of mutual trust and win-win cooperation. Besides frequent high-level visits, people-to-people exchanges have reached an unprecedented height.As a Chinese saying goes, “Friendship, which derives from close contact between the people, holds the key to sound state-to-state relations.” Amity between people is the basis of mutual understanding. I started to learn Chinese in my childhood and then came to study in China. Since I graduated, I have been engaged in the cultural exchanges between Belarus and China. I have found from my learning and working experience that the first and foremost way to know a country is to know its history and culture. Belarus may be a small Eastern European country compared with China, but we are also more than 1,000 years old. Since its establishment, the Belarusian nationality has gone through many historical periods, such as Kievan Rus, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union. With the interaction between Eastern and Western cultures, we have formed a unique and highly inclusive national culture and characteristic. Like the Chinese people, we Belarusian people are hardworking, kind-hearted, and peace-loving. However, these understandings are only limited to books. How can we let Chinese people truly understand us?“Traveling is a good way to expand our horizons.” Tourism has increased our mutual understanding and trust. Six years have passed since the establishment of our comprehensive cooperative partnership. With the development of mutual cultural exchanges and tourism industry, Chinese elements are springing up in Belarus:When getting off the plane, one will see Chinese on the airport signs. The LED screens on high rises broadcast enormous billboard-style advertisements of Air China and Huawei. In the China-Belarus Industrial Park, the Beijing Road and the Minsk Road extend in parallel. Under the dense tower cranes are the construction projects of BUCC, the CRCC, and the MCC. More and more Belarusians are learning Chinese. Eating Chinese food is in vogue. Today, Belarus is becoming a popular area, attracting more and more Chinese companies to make investments, study, and even settle down.I believe that the execution of the visa exemption policy between our two countries will draw more Chinese tourists to this beautiful “land of ten thousand lakes.” I would like to mention another piece of good news, the official launch of “Belarusian Tourism Ticketing,” a WeChat mini-program program. This program makes it easy for Chinese tourists to book and pay online for services related to “food, accommodation, travel, and entertainment” in Belarus. This makes the journey to Belarus available anytime.Finally, I wish everlasting friendship between the Chinese and Belarus peoples.