Ambassador of China: Belarus will undoubtedly benefit from SCO

Shanghai Co-operation Organisation has a solid legal framework and a mature mechanism for interaction to ensure the sovereignty, independence and security of its member states, and it will establish four centres for security co-operation. As noted by Zhang Wenchuan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Belarus, before a lecture at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, this will help Belarus do more to maintain its national security and counter external threats.

The diplomat noted that the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies is a leading think tank in Belarus, “This institution studies the SCO development. As you know, China assumed the SCO presidency at the Astana summit last year, and Belarus is now a full member of the organisation. China is ready to host the SCO summit in Tianjin this autumn, and it will be the most important event of China's SCO presidency. We are confident that, with the help of all our friends, including Belarus, this summit will be crowned with success.”

Zhang Wenchuan added later, “Belarus will undoubtedly benefit from SCO, it will help improve the country’s ability to address security risks. Currently, the factors of uncertainty, instability and insecurity in the region are further increasing, and the risk of a new wave of terrorism and extremism is growing. At the same time, the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation has a solid legal framework and a mature mechanism for co-operation to ensure the sovereignty, independence and security of its member states, and it will establish four centres for security co-operation. All this will help Belarus do more to maintain its national security and counter external threats.”