GOMEL, 16 May (BelTA) - Sanctions are a time to reassess and find new opportunities for growth, and Belarus is succeeding in doing so, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maksim Ryzhenkov said at the meeting with the activists of Gomel on 16 May, BelTA has learned.
Speaking about Belarus' foreign policy, Maksim Ryzhenkov emphasized the country’s peaceful, friendly, and partnership-oriented approach, regardless of the political ambitions, trade and economic development, or ideological differences of neighboring countries.
He noted that Belarus is ready and capable of building relationships with all nations. "The current decline in relations with Western countries is not our failure. It is primarily due to their unwillingness to cooperate with us, driven by broader geopolitical factors, which cause the corresponding actions of the Western countries," the minister stated.
Maksim Ryzhenkov highlighted that President Aleksandr Lukashenko has set goals to diversify exports, identify new growth areas, and expand foreign policy initiatives. "As our president says, sanctions are not a time for frustration: they are a time for new opportunities. A time to reassess our economic and trade position, look around, and find new paths for development. And we are succeeding in this," he said.
“Over the past five years, Belarus' trade, particularly exports, has grown by more than 10%. Goods that were previously shipped to Europe have been redirected to other markets without financial losses,” Maksim Ryzhenkov noted.
The matters of investment attraction and import substitution are also being addressed. "It turns out that some things we can produce ourselves, at a lower cost. Others we can manufacture in industrial cooperation with Russia," the minister explained. Some supply chains have been reoriented, with Chinese imports replacing Western sources.
"The economic shake-up of 2020, even in its impact on our foreign policy, has actually played a positive role in our development and in expanding international partnerships," Maksim Ryzhenkov concluded.
During the meeting, participants asked the minister about relations with Vietnam and Zimbabwe, the state of global trade, and the importance of preserving historical memory.
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