MINSK, 19 May (BelTA) – Belarus counts on the West rethinking its policy towards it, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Yuri Ambrazevich said at a meeting of the Council for Sustainable Development, BelTA has learned.
“Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is an ambitious task for every state. However, countries cannot achieve them on their own by mobilizing only internal resources. In this regard, partnerships remain important for us. Belarus expects that the desire to achieve these goals will prompt all our partners, including Western states, to revise their policy towards our state,” Yuri Ambrazevich said.
The Belarusian diplomat pointed to the interdependence of states in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. “It is not only because of cross-border trade, but also because this concept agrees with normal international cooperation,” he stressed.
According to international experts, at present Belarus' progress in achieving the SDGs is estimated at almost 80%. Belarus ranks 24th in the Sustainable Development Report 2021 and 53rd in the Human Development Index retaining its spot in the very high human development category.
Belarus really has something to be proud of, and these achievements are highlighted in the report, he said. “Sustainable development, peace, security are part of everyday work for the benefit of ordinary people. It is the foundation of any state,” the deputy foreign minister said.
The Council for Sustainable Development discussed the second Voluntary National Review of Belarus' progress to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The review documents the progress Belarus has made in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in recent years. In July it will be presented at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the UN headquarters.
Belarus was among the first countries to present its first Voluntary National Review in 2017.
