Ryzhenkov: Belarus' path rooted in peaceful projects in the interests of global community, rather than against anyone
Free countries of the Global South are against sanctions, interference in their internal affairs and the ‘democratisation’ imposed on them: they want to develop on the basis of their own historical traditions, their understanding of the world and in the interests of their peoples – as stated by Belarus’ Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov in his speech at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly
Photo: video screenshot
Mr. Ryzhenkov noted, “From the point of view of the collective West (the information was taken from American sources), 72 percent of the world's population lives in the so-called ‘autocracies’, and this figure (according to their estimates) made 46 percent around two decades ago. Whether the Western policy aimed at forcing the world community to live according to its patterns is a success? The answer is obvious. It is obviously not.”
The free countries of the Global South are already a global majority, in the depths of which new ideas and projects — exclusively peaceful — are being born, and they are in the interests of the entire world community, and not against anyone. “These are China’s initiatives: One Belt, One Road, as well as the Global Development Initiative and the initiatives in the field of global security and global civilisation put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is the Belarusian-Russian idea of the Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century. This is the Indian initiative of the Voice of the Global South summits, and many others. To one degree or another, all these projects are aimed at forming an international community of a single destiny for the entire planet, rather than a fate of the so-called ‘golden billion’,” Mr. Ryzhenkov said, adding, “After all, we share one planet, albeit in all its diversity that enriches all of us.”
The Foreign Minister stressed that this is the path of Belarus as well, “This is the path of our President Aleksandr Lukashenko and our people. It is based on respect, trust, sincerity, reliability, and responsibility.”
Mr. Ryzhenkov drew attention to the fact that Belarus had responded to the latest package of illegal sanctions with openness: it unilaterally abolished the visa regime for citizens of all EU countries. Thousands of EU citizens have already visited Belarus without visas, and they have not been disappointed.
“If the UN were trusted more today, most global peace initiatives would be born and developed directly within the organisation, not outside it. The world would not be in danger of being split into political and economic blocs again," the Foreign Minister stated.
