Lukashenko appears in public, dismisses talk of bad illness

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko appeared in public and dismissed talk he was seriously ill, telling officials, according to a video shown by a state-run media outlet said.

Lukashenko told a meeting on health issues that he had been suffering from an adenovirus, which is a common cold virus. 

"If someone thinks I am going to die, calm down," he said, adding that while it only took three days to recover from such a virus, he had been too busy to take time off immediately.

"I'm not going to die, guys. You'll have to struggle with me for a very long time to come," Lukashenko stressed.