NUCLEAR POWER IN BELARUS AND WORLDWIDE
Belarus’ joining the dialog platforms of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be useful for revitalization of the oriental vector of the country’s foreign policy, Arseny Sivitsky, the director of the center for strategic studies and foreign policy, said during an online video-briefing at the Union State information and analysis portal.
"As Belarus intensifies the oriental vector of its foreign policy this year, joining such dialogue platforms will be very useful. All the more so because Russia and China - Belarus’ two strategic partners - are part of this organization," said Arseny Sivitsky.
According to him, the SCO is a multi-purpose organization that addresses quite a wide range of tasks, and every year it seeks to go beyond the regional framework. The expert believes that upgrading Belarus’ status from dialogue partner to observer in this organization is a positive development. "The higher status gives us the right to participate in more activities of the organization at a higher level, to access the documents of this organization, and indirectly influence the decision making through making our position known. Improving our awareness of the developments in each of the SCO member states is certainly a good thing,” Arseny Sivitsky said.
Belarus seeks to bolster relations with India and Pakistan which are also joining the SCO. In his view, this can also be considered as a positive thing despite the fact that Belarus will not be able to have a direct say in decision-making. "Belarus does not have the right to vote, unfortunately. But it is still important to understand what is happening in the Central Asian region and in the states with which our country is building either strategic or prioritized relations,” the expert said.
"As Belarus intensifies the oriental vector of its foreign policy this year, joining such dialogue platforms will be very useful. All the more so because Russia and China - Belarus’ two strategic partners - are part of this organization," said Arseny Sivitsky.
According to him, the SCO is a multi-purpose organization that addresses quite a wide range of tasks, and every year it seeks to go beyond the regional framework. The expert believes that upgrading Belarus’ status from dialogue partner to observer in this organization is a positive development. "The higher status gives us the right to participate in more activities of the organization at a higher level, to access the documents of this organization, and indirectly influence the decision making through making our position known. Improving our awareness of the developments in each of the SCO member states is certainly a good thing,” Arseny Sivitsky said.
Belarus seeks to bolster relations with India and Pakistan which are also joining the SCO. In his view, this can also be considered as a positive thing despite the fact that Belarus will not be able to have a direct say in decision-making. "Belarus does not have the right to vote, unfortunately. But it is still important to understand what is happening in the Central Asian region and in the states with which our country is building either strategic or prioritized relations,” the expert said.
