Expert: activity of most international organisations is politicised

In 2016, when Belarus began active negotiations on joining the World Trade Organisation, President Aleksandr Lukashenko asked the government to thoroughly weigh all the pros and cons in that matter, repeatedly stressing that any negotiations with the WTO should be based on national interests. Political expert Piotr Petrovsky speculated on whether Belarus needs this membership in the current conditions.

“Belarus took steps to join the WTO when this organisation had real tools to influence the mechanisms of world trade. It really had weight, since the rules and procedure of economic interaction between states were actually met, and the WTO monitored compliance with those regulations. However, we see now that the entire system of international relations, including trade, is gradually deteriorating, and this process has affected most international organisations – including the WTO. Almost all its decisions and actions are politicised and conditioned by the policy of double standards at present. This confirms its discriminatory attitude towards Belarus, Russia, China and other countries that pursue a policy of national interests in the international arena," Mr. Petrovsky stated.