FM: Belarus' model of working with African partners differs a lot from Western one

MINSK, 3 February (BelTA) – The Belarusian model of working with African countries is fundamentally different from the Western one - it implies honest, equal, mutually beneficial and mutually respectful relations, and recognition of the diversity of development models, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Aleinik told reporters as he reviewed the outcomes of the state visit of the Belarusian president to Zimbabwe, BelTA has learned.

“Our model of working with African partners is fundamentally different from the Western one. They still de facto cannot get rid of outdated neo-colonial approaches, they are draining resources, they are trying in every possible way to keep Africa as a subsidized region, they want to prevent it from turning from an object to a subject of the global geopolitics,” said the foreign minister. “The West is going to extraordinary lengths to preserve the unipolar world. Africa has every chance to become one of the centerpieces of international relations if not in the near term, then in the foreseeable future. In other words, it can turn into one of the most important poles of the emerging multipolar world order,” the minister said.

Unlike the West, Belarus is not interested in preventing this from happening, Sergei Aleinik noted. On the contrary, Belarus is ready to contribute to this in every possible way. “Therefore, from the very beginning, we have been building our relations with African countries proceeding from the principles of a multipolar world. We are building honest, equal, mutually beneficial, mutually respectful relations, we bring technologies, train personnel, recognize the diversity of development paths, offer various cooperation and investment projects without setting any additional conditions,” Sergei Aleinik stressed.

He fully shares the thesis of the Belarusian head of state that the world cannot do without Africa. "This is absolutely true. Africa is the second continent on the planet after Eurasia with a population of more than one and a half billion people. A number of countries in this region are developing very dynamically,” the minister said. “All the power that be, the major powers, know this very well, are aware of this and are trying to occupy their niches on the African continent. The United States, China, India, Russia, and the countries of the European Union are not just present here. They compete actively. That is why they are very seriously watching the expansion of Belarus' cooperation with the countries of the African continent."

"This region is not easy. This is also true," the minister said. “Not every country can afford to work here. It is not always for us. Not everything works out. But we have been building our relations with the countries of the African continent for a long time and on a systematic basis."

Sergei Aleinik is convinced that the state visit of the Belarusian president to Zimbabwe just confirmed that Belarus' strategy in relation to the states of the African continent is right and promising.