Community of the future

Belarus has officially become a BRICS partner — this is one of the main outcomes of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan 

Representatives from nearly 40 countries, including leaders from CIS countries, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, as well as heads of executive bodies from a range of international organisations, arrived in the capital of Tatarstan and discussed — in various formats — strengthening multilateralism to promote equitable global development and security.  
The high-level meeting became a significant event on the international stage. The President of Belarus was in high demand — Aleksandr Lukashenko spent two busy days at the forum, which included numerous bilateral meetings and a series of interviews with major foreign media.  
The Head of State delivered a compelling speech at the BRICS Summit session held in the BRICS Plus/Outreach format. We invite readers to familiarise themselves with the full text of the President of Belarus’ speech.
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Dear ladies and gentlemen!  
Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!  
I congratulate you on your successful chairmanship. Everything is timely and highly effective.  
Over a relatively short historical period, the association has become a centre of attraction. It is with BRICS that an increasing number of countries associate their visions of a just world order — the one that ensures the equality of sovereign states regardless of their size, military, and economic power, the one that recognises the right of each state to independently determine its development ideology and pursue an independent foreign policy.  

BRICS is a community of the future. In terms of its potential, it can hasten the end of the era of dominance by the collective West, which has proven unable to take responsibility for the civilised development of international relations. It is in the power of the BRICS member states to ensure that real levers of influence are transferred to the hands of the progressive global majority.  

We fully share the BRICS philosophy. Belarus is coming to you with concrete ideas and projects aimed at addressing common problems of humanity. We are ready to become an active participant in the association.
Belarus is traditionally a responsible and effective partner. Its geographical location in the centre of Europe, along with its experience and achievements, allows us to confidently state that Belarus will become another important puzzle piece in the emerging image of the BRICS future. Belarus’ participation as a member state will expand the boundaries of the association’s possibilities, making it more universal and comprehensive. 
Let me highlight just a few areas where Belarus can play a significant role. 

First: Security 

  Mutual respect, indivisible security, and guarantees of national development without confrontation or opposition are the principles on which — we believe — our new world order should be built. 

Second: Sustainable development  

For many countries of the global majority — as well as for Belarus — the task of building sustainable, economically self-sufficient states in the absence of large reserves of natural resources, without geographical and climatic advantages is particularly relevant. Belarus is successfully coping with this. 
We are ready to offer our unique historical experience on how to become stronger and make others stronger, how to preserve and increase human potential in the face of sanctions pressure and attempts at colour revolutions, how to ensure high social standards and a decent quality of life, how to commercialise innovations, and rapidly master technologies.

Third: Fight against hunger, poverty, consequences of climate change  

Belarus is one of the world’s leading exporters of fertilisers, a wide range of food products, agricultural machinery, and technologies. We make our contribution to ensuring food security in the world. We are ready to co-operate with colleagues in the field of agricultural science on the issues related to the adaptation of crops to climate change, land reclamation, and the involvement of land in agricultural circulation.  

Fourth: Humanitarian sphere  

Belarusian education is highly valued worldwide: representatives from over 110 states come to our country to get higher education diplomas in the most sought-after modern specialities.  
Strong scientific schools are a key factor in the successful development of our sovereign state. Among our priorities are energy-efficient technologies, nanomaterials, new energy sources, industrial biotechnology, medicine, and the IT sector.  
Belarus has developed a range of competencies in the aerospace field. We are ready to contribute to the implementation of the initiative to create satellite systems for BRICS and, subsequently, the space research consortium. We will be glad to share our expertise, research and practical results.  
Dear friends!  
Belarus has a high level of interaction and trusting relationships with the vast majority of countries whose representatives are present in this hall. We have a long history of successful co-operation with many of them.  
We can now complement our achievements on the bilateral track with new successes in the integration format. Minsk confirms its full readiness for full-fledged membership in our organisation.  
Thank you for your attention.
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Dossier  

BRICS Outreach is a regional co-operation format aimed at involving the neighbouring countries of the host country in BRICS activities. This format was initiated by South Africa during its presidency in 2013.  
BRICS Plus is a more global format that allows for the engagement of other countries in its work. In 2017, China laid the groundwork for the BRICS Plus co-operation model by proposing to broaden the BRICS circle of friends who would interact with the association on a regular basis.

In the spotlight  

Journalists from foreign media could not miss out on the opportunity to engage in discussions with the Belarusian leader on the margins of the high-profile event. Aleksandr Lukashenko — on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit — gave interviews to leading media outlets from both the West and the East, including the BBC, Russian television companies VGTRK and NTV, the Izvestia newspaper, as well as the Chinese CGTN TV channel. The focus was on the hottest topics, such as the situation in Ukraine and the prospects for ending hostilities, the construction of a multipolar world and Belarus’ interest in BRICS, the upcoming election in Belarus and the electoral campaign in the USA, the economic development of both countries members of the Union State and countering external political pressure, friendly relations with the Russian President, and the principled position of the leadership of the Russian Federation.

Bilateral negotiations  

The Belarusian leader held a negotiation marathon in the capital of Tatarstan. Aleksandr Lukashenko met with President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Phạm Minh Chính, and Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali.

What the President of Belarus and the UN Secretary-General discussed on the sidelines of BRICS Summit

At the very beginning of the meeting, the Head of State presented António Guterres with a sculpture of storks, “This is a symbol of peace — our storks. We, António, really need peace.”  
During the conversation, the Belarusian leader congratulated António Guterres on a ‘wonderful feature’, “Over my political life, I have seen more than one [UN] Secretary-General, but this is the first time I encounter such determination. You are the first Secretary-General who has openly and honestly stated their position on key issues of the international agenda. You should know that your position on the Middle East issue is not just in harmony with ours — it is fully supported by the leadership of Belarus, including me.”  
Aleksandr Lukashenko assured, “You should know that we will always stand with you, as far as peace and war are concerned. We advocate peace, peaceful negotiations, and peaceful resolution of any conflicts.” 

Meanwhile

Vladimir Zelensky rejected a visit to Ukraine by UN Secretary-General António Guterres after the administrative head of the global organisation had attended the BRICS Summit in Russia’s Kazan, TASS reported. The RBK-Ukraine agency, citing a source in Zelensky’s office, informed that the UN Secretary-General wanted to visit Ukraine after the summit; however, this proposal was not accepted in Kiev. “Therefore, Guterres will not be here,” the source added. Earlier, Zelensky reproached the global organisation for having ‘some of its officials who prefer the temptations in Kazan to the content of the UN Charter’.

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by