Lukashenko's press secretary refutes report about closure of McDonald's restaurants in Minsk

Natalya Petkevich, press secretary of the President of Belarus, has flatly rejected the reports spread by foreign mass media alleging that President Alexander Lukashenko "had signed a decree on the closure of six popular McDonald's restaurants in Minsk." The press secretary told RIA Novosti that the President of Belarus had not signed any decree that would in any way affect the interests of McDonald's popular fast-food restaurants. He has not even said anything on this score, she stressed.

At the same time, the city's executive committee declared that "experts of the health department of the Minsk city executive committee believe that the traditional cuisine is more to the liking of the Belarussians than the dishes they are offered at McDonald's. "The need to expand the network of national Belarussian fast-food restaurants was mentioned at a recent conference devoted to the healthy way of life of Minsk residents, said the press service of the city executive committee.

As for the dispute between the McDonald's restaurant on the square near the railway terminal and the Belarussian State University, the Minsk mayor's office believes that the settlement of the issue depends upon the economic entities. The restaurant is in the immediate vicinity to the university campus and a fence has been built around it for the forthcoming construction of a new university building