MINSK, 1 July (BelTA) - The policy of Western countries towards integration in the CIS space is growing more and more aggressive, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko said as he addressed a visiting meeting of the Council of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, BelTA learned from the press service of the House of Representatives.
“First of all, I would like to thank Tajikistan for the hospitality and consistent work as part of the CSTO Presidency to strengthen the organization in the face of new threats and challenges. Unfortunately, we have faced more and more of them recently. The constant escalation of East-West tensions, the rejection of multilateralism, the destruction of international arms control mechanisms… This is the harsh reality of today,” Vladimir Andreichenko said. “NATO is defiantly ‘flexing its muscles' on training grounds in Poland and the Baltic States, in close proximity to the western borders of the CSTO. The U.S. missile defense system in Europe is being systematically expanded. Substantive talks are underway about Georgia and Ukraine joining NATO. We understand what this means for the security of our countries,” he said.
According to him, the policy of Western countries with regard to integration processes in the CIS is becoming more aggressive. "The fundamental principles of international law are completely ignored by our opponents. Instead, they have turned to the methods of blatant pressure, sanctions and interference in internal affairs. The events around Belarus are a direct proof of this. Over the past year, we experienced the latest technologies of hybrid warfare – from attempts to destabilize the society from within to attempts to eliminate the head of state. It was a challenging time, but we held our ground," the speaker said. “As we see, attempts to pressure Belarus do not stop. Under the guise of fictional interests of our people, the collective West has proceeded to economic strangulation of the country. The sanctions are being imposed against Belarus' flagships, our world-famous brands - MAZ and BelAZ. So-called sectoral sanctions are in the pipeline to sow chaos and confusion and undermine the country's sovereignty and independence. What do the Belarusian people gain from this, let me ask? The question is rhetorical,” he said.
Vladimir Andreichenko emphasized that the true goals of the big game launched by the West are already obvious to everyone - to eliminate Belarus as a competitor from world markets, to undermine the integration projects of the Union State, the EAEU and the CSTO, to make our country a springboard for the subsequent struggle for Russia's resources and markets. “I am sure that we will not allow such a scenario to happen. Firstly, Belarus strongly safeguards its sovereignty and independence by strengthening its defense capabilities. Secondly, I am absolutely convinced and the history has proved it right many times that by joining forces we can respond to any aggressive actions and claims, no matter who they come from,” he stated.
All this undoubtedly increases the significance of the CSTO, including its parliamentary dimension. “Taking into consideration the current political and military situation in the world, our key task is to consistently build up the military capabilities of the CSTO, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of decision-making in the CSTO. Experience shows that this is crucial for peace and security in the region, life and prosperity of our citizens. We do not threaten anyone. Today, like never before, it is also important to consolidate efforts to strengthen the central role of the UN in international relations. Despite all the difficulties, we should continue putting forward constructive, unifying initiatives aimed at maintaining peace and security. It is necessary to consistently defend the idea that the world order should be based on international treaties supported by all countries of the world, and not on the standards and values developed by a group of states. The modern world is diverse, and all states, regardless of their size and power, should respect the right of peoples to choose their own development path,” the speaker said.
“We have adopted Recommendations on coordination of actions of parliamentary delegations of the CSTO member states in international parliamentary organizations. I believe that this document should be fleshed out with mechanisms enabling parliamentary delegations to take fast decisions in response to actions affecting the interests of our countries, and to resist sanctions pressure. It is no less important to nominate representatives of the CSTO parliamentary delegations to leading positions in inter-parliamentary organizations,” the speaker said.
Vladimir Andreichenko highlighted the importance of the efforts to perpetuate the memory of the Great Patriotic War, to counter attempts to revise its results. “The history does not forgive those who forget or denounce it. This topic will always be crucial for Belarus, as every third citizen of Belarus sacrificed his/her life for the sake of the Great Victory. The memory of the war and heroic deeds of our fathers and grandfathers, who went down in history for defeating Nazism, is the basis for the patriotic upbringing of the youth. At the same time, we should not forget that revision of the war outcomes is just an element of a broader and more profound information war against our countries. Underestimating its destructive nature is fatally dangerous for the country's territorial integrity and citizens who are dragged into ethnic, religious, or social conflicts,” Vladimir Andreichenko believes. “We are especially concerned that this war is waged aggressively, with the help of modem digital technologies and the latest solutions for psychological influence. In my opinion, we often fail to provide an appropriate response in time in this confrontation. In view of this, we need a robust information policy targeting all groups of the population, primarily the youth. Such values as patriotism, love for the Motherland, common history, internationalism viewed as readiness to help each other in a difficult situation, and the fight against any manifestations of xenophobia should be at the core of the information policy of the CSTO member states,” he added.
The CSTO member states should also make sure that they are able to control their information space, prevent and repulse cyberattacks, and protect the crucial infrastructure. The concept of the action plan and tools to counter cyber-challenges and threats will lay the groundwork for efforts in this field, Vladimir Andreichenko believes.
“The initiatives on creation of the digital neighborhood belt and on information sovereignty and neutrality put forward by the Belarusian president are becoming more and more significant in the current situation. I believe that our appropriate commissions and delegations to international organizations should carefully consider discussing and implementing these initiatives at the international level. The CSTO agreement on cooperation in information security that came into effect in 2019 is a good example of effective international cooperation in this field,” Vladimir Andreichenko added.
