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05 December 2019, 19:15

Belarus calls for new plan to bolster European security

MINSK, 5 December (BelTA) – A new plan needs to be worked out in order to bolster European security. Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei made the relevant statement during the 26th session of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Bratislava, Slovakia on 5 December, BelTA has learned.

Vladimir Makei said: “Peace is hard to achieve, yet easy to break. We need a new ‘Marshall Plan' for European security, a plan where all the participating states could invest in creating reliable security mechanisms in our region.”

Vladimir Makei stressed that 30 years ago the Charter of Paris for a New Europe declared the principle of indivisible security in a bid to melt the ice of distrust and build a common Europe. “Have the shared dreams come true? Unfortunately, no. The chronic and worsening crisis of trust, weakening arms control mechanisms, the rapid buildup of the military potential, the expansion of the political and ideological gap represent genuine components of a catastrophe,” the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs stated.

Vladimir Makei pointed out that Belarus understands perfectly well what unpredictable consequences the situation may have in our volatile region located in a geopolitically dangerous seismic zone. “What do we suggest? In 2017 the Belarus president called for a resumption of the strategic dialogue aimed at overcoming differences and reviving the spirit of the Helsinki process. He suggested convening a summit to sincerely and openly discuss the state of affairs and ways to fix and reboot the security architecture in Europe at the top level. The offer is still valid,” Vladimir Makei said.

“Along with other like-minded countries Belarus is ready to invest in finding a solution to convert the dominating conflict paradigm into a paradigm of security based on cooperation and interaction,” the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs stated.

In his opinion, one should not underestimate the role of small and medium-sized countries. They should be rightful participants of the dialogue about security in order to avoid a new division of Europe into spheres of influence.

Vladimir Makei is convinced: “The recent termination of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty continues quite a dangerous trend of escalating military tensions in Europe. Belarus has suggested working out a multipartite declaration that will clearly oblige signatories not to deploy intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles in their territories and refuse to produce them. We recognize that the implementation of this initiative will require political will and strenuous efforts.”

Since cyberspace more and more frequently becomes an arena of confrontation, Belarus has suggested setting up a digital good neighborhood belt by means of signing international agreements on cybersecurity and similar agreements on additional trust-building and security measures in military and political affairs.

Vladimir Makei remarked that 2020 will mark 75 years since World War Two ended. Bitter lessons of that war remind people about the value of peace and dangers of nationalism, xenophobia, and Neo-Nazism.

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