ASTANA, 14 October (BelTA) - External forces seek to derail the integration in the post-Soviet space, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said on the sidelines of the CIS summit in Astana on 14 October, BelTA has learned.
“You see what is happening around: the world has gone mad; the world is unpredictable today. That is why the post-Soviet countries should stay together,” Vladimir Makei said.
According to him, the relevance of the CIS platform is now more important than ever. “No matter how anyone may deny it, we have a shared past. We have a lot in common, both in economy and human contacts. We also have a lot in common politically. Once many states gained independence, each voiced its own national interests. Today these national interests are fueled by some external forces that seek to destroy the integration in the former Soviet space to keep our countries apart, to prevent us from feeling united and from being able to resist the insane sanctions pressure that comes from the outside,” the minister said.
“Now we have to determine what is the most important thing. When they say to us “let's protect human rights”, we agree that human rights must be protected. But human rights can be ensured only in conditions of normal development of the economy, society and the state, and under normal conditions of security. So let us determine what is most important today: either the right to go into the square and shout “No to x, y, z!”, or still think about the fact that our planet is falling apart, and do our best to stop it,” Vladimir Makei said.
