Posted:
23.09.2021 11:37:00
Solve problems through kindness
Dushanbe was the venue for the Heads of State Council of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, as well as the SCO-CSTO meeting initiated by official Minsk
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In his speech at the SCO summit, Aleksandr Lukashenko put forward a number of major initiatives, also proposing an important formula for unravelling the Afghan ‘knot’,
Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasised the potential of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation and its ability to play an independent game in global politics, saying,
Health is the most valuable resource
The coronavirus pandemic has plunged the planet into a new reality. The experience of the last two years has convincingly proved that closing ourselves in national ‘apartments’ is not an option. The President of Belarus stressed,
The President said that — thanks to co-operation with partners, primarily with Russia — Belarus has established production of a vaccine and grants foreign citizens the right to visit the country without a visa for vaccination against COVID-19. He believes that,
Aleksandr Lukashenko drew the attention of his colleagues to a number of issues that require the attention of the SCO heads of state. The President called cyber attacks and manipulation of consciousness via the Internet one of the most dangerous challenges for the SCO countries: they threaten the security of not only state institutions but also public interests and human rights. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, one of the problems in this context is the lack of an international legal system that establishes norms and rules of conduct in this area. Development of an appropriate international framework will make it possible to solve these issues, the President believes.
The Belarusian leader made one more important statement,
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
Lend a shoulder
The previous day at the CSTO Summit, the Afghan problem was the focus of the SCO leaders’ dialogue. For several decades, the country actually did not come out of a state of war, though all its neighbours are interested in a stable Afghanistan. With this in view, Aleksandr Lukashenko voiced Minsk’s initiative,
Minsk’s position at the joint CSTO-SCO meeting was presented by Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei. All participants of the event reacted well to Aleksandr Lukashenko’s leaving Dushanbe earlier than others. After all, it was an historic date — Belarus was celebrating its most important holiday for the first time: People’s Unity Day. The Head of State could not but spend the date with his people!
On the fringe of the summit
Belarus’ Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei held meetings in Dushanbe with a member of the State Council, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Mr. Makei and his Chinese counterpart discussed a wide range of issues related to the further development of Belarusian-Chinese relations, including the organisation of contacts at the highest levels. The sides paid close attention to the priority tasks of enhancing co-operation in the trade and economic sphere.
With Subramaniam Jaishankar, the Belarusian Foreign Minister discussed issues of enhancing political co-operation between the countries, including prospects for resuming contacts at the highest levels, as well as interaction in international organisations.
The parties also exchanged views on topical issues on the international agenda, paying special attention to prospects for further development of Belarusian-Indian trade and economic co-operation.
By Dmitry Kryat, Yevgeny Kononovich
In his speech at the SCO summit, Aleksandr Lukashenko put forward a number of major initiatives, also proposing an important formula for unravelling the Afghan ‘knot’,
“The Afghan state and its people should be treated as equals. We need to help Afghanistan... The problem should be solved through kindness.”Fair world order
Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasised the potential of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation and its ability to play an independent game in global politics, saying,
“The SCO is one of the largest regional organisations in the world. This status gives it all the resources and opportunities to allow it to not play by the rules dictated by external forces — moreover, the disastrous results of such intrusion are obvious to all now.”Belarus’ Head of State is convinced that the current situation in the region and in the world dictates special conditions for the development of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, “The acute global challenges of our time clearly indicate that the time is coming for an historic stress test for our organisation, perhaps the most serious in its entire 20-year history.”
Health is the most valuable resource
The coronavirus pandemic has plunged the planet into a new reality. The experience of the last two years has convincingly proved that closing ourselves in national ‘apartments’ is not an option. The President of Belarus stressed,
“We need to unite more than ever and work jointly to create an alliance in the field of healthcare.”According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the SCO states need to intensify co-operation in the production of vaccines and medicines — not only against coronavirus.
The President said that — thanks to co-operation with partners, primarily with Russia — Belarus has established production of a vaccine and grants foreign citizens the right to visit the country without a visa for vaccination against COVID-19. He believes that,
“The vaccine should become a universal public good accessible to all.Financial co-operation
Aleksandr Lukashenko drew the attention of his colleagues to a number of issues that require the attention of the SCO heads of state. The President called cyber attacks and manipulation of consciousness via the Internet one of the most dangerous challenges for the SCO countries: they threaten the security of not only state institutions but also public interests and human rights. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, one of the problems in this context is the lack of an international legal system that establishes norms and rules of conduct in this area. Development of an appropriate international framework will make it possible to solve these issues, the President believes.
The Belarusian leader made one more important statement,
“Belarus resolutely and consistently supports the SCO proposals regarding expansion of the use of national currencies in trade and finance.”According to the Head of State, the current situation in the world demonstrates an increasing vulnerability of the countries that rely entirely on a well-known currency. “This not only deprives us of competitive financial and economic advantages, but also threatens national security. Moreover, this lever is increasingly being used as a weapon,”
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
Lend a shoulder
The previous day at the CSTO Summit, the Afghan problem was the focus of the SCO leaders’ dialogue. For several decades, the country actually did not come out of a state of war, though all its neighbours are interested in a stable Afghanistan. With this in view, Aleksandr Lukashenko voiced Minsk’s initiative,
“Our country is ready to assist in the restoration of the Afghan infrastructure, ensuring food supplies… My experience as President enables me to draw a conclusion: all the problems that exist in Afghanistan today are to be solved by Afghans. History teaches us something: two major, most powerful states (the Soviet Union and America) have been trying to solve the problems in Afghanistan by force for 30 years. What happened as a result? You know this from recent events. Therefore, the problem must be solved through kindness. The Afghan state and its people should be treated as equals. We need to help Afghanistan.”The President added, “However, we must all understand that it will not be possible to solve these problems instantly. We should proceed calmly, patiently, offering various ways of helping Afghanistan. We should not impose our values on them, they will choose their future independently. The modern history of development of the region of Central and South Asia also teaches us this. I’d emphasise once again: Afghans will choose their future independently.”
Minsk’s position at the joint CSTO-SCO meeting was presented by Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei. All participants of the event reacted well to Aleksandr Lukashenko’s leaving Dushanbe earlier than others. After all, it was an historic date — Belarus was celebrating its most important holiday for the first time: People’s Unity Day. The Head of State could not but spend the date with his people!
On the fringe of the summit
Belarus’ Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei held meetings in Dushanbe with a member of the State Council, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Mr. Makei and his Chinese counterpart discussed a wide range of issues related to the further development of Belarusian-Chinese relations, including the organisation of contacts at the highest levels. The sides paid close attention to the priority tasks of enhancing co-operation in the trade and economic sphere.
With Subramaniam Jaishankar, the Belarusian Foreign Minister discussed issues of enhancing political co-operation between the countries, including prospects for resuming contacts at the highest levels, as well as interaction in international organisations.
The parties also exchanged views on topical issues on the international agenda, paying special attention to prospects for further development of Belarusian-Indian trade and economic co-operation.
By Dmitry Kryat, Yevgeny Kononovich
