Posted: 06.04.2022 17:59:00

Western measures against Belarus directly affect Europe, Foreign Ministry asserts

Everyone in the world should understand that the measures taken by western governments against Belarus directly affect Europe itself and also go far beyond its borders – as stated by Belarus’ Deputy Foreign Minister, Yuri Ambrazevich, at a meeting of the UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development held today in video format


As reported by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry’s press service, Mr. Ambrazevich said, “Belarus has for many years declared at all levels that sustainable development is directly related to the issues of peace and security. If there is no peace and security, there is no development. This is a clear formula, and its secret lies in the need to take into account the interests of absolutely every state in the field of security.”

“Life proves the validity of such statements for the concept of sustainable development. The situation in Ukraine is another confirmation of this,” he said, adding, “The indivisibility of security interests is a clear reflection of the actual level of interdependence of countries in the modern world and its complication by the nature of current challenges that embrace coronavirus and climate change, terrorism and information openness of societies.”

As Mr. Ambrazevich emphasised, ‘the concept of security has a very complex meaning now, and it includes many elements’, “The governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, NATO and EU member states – based on their security interests – strive to direct the political development of Belarusian society along an avenue that meets the interests of the western elite. To this end, they are trying to slow down Belarus’ economic development and arouse discontent among the people by applying economic sanctions against our country. Ordinary people in the US and Europe are told these are selective measures that are directed against representatives of the regime. Of course, all this is an absolute lie, and it already affects the sphere of information security.”

"Moreover, everyone in the world should understand that the measures taken by western governments against Belarus directly affect Europe itself and also go far beyond its borders,” the Deputy Foreign Minister stressed.

He added, “The collective West has imposed sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilisers which account for 20 percent of the world market. However, it has failed to take note of the fact that Belarus is among the top states in terms of food security. We are actually self-sufficient in this matter. It is not Belarusians who will starve from this reckless measure of the West, but ordinary people, primarily in developing countries, who – due to the lack of these fertilisers – will not be able to grow bread, rice or peanuts. The lack of potash fertilisers on the world market from such seemingly distant Belarus directly contributes to record inflation and a drop in the standard of living of ordinary people in Europe and even in the United States.”

"With this in view, Belarus urges all countries of the world to abandon ignoring each other's interests and striving to strengthen their security at the expense of others. Modern external conditions for sustainable development of any nation depend on how we will be able to prevent and resolve each other's concerns through diplomacy," Mr. Ambrazevich stressed, adding, “That is why we urge to abandon any actions that contribute to the continuation of the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible.”

Belarus’ Deputy Foreign Minister concluded, “We are convinced that the decisions to exclude certain states from the circle of interaction in the region, as well as the concomitant destruction of effective multilateral co-operation mechanisms – such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe – in no way meet these goals.”