MINSK, 18 November (BelTA) - The sanctions imposed against Belarus are not selective. They affect all areas of activity and the entire population, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Ambrazevich said at a regular meeting of the Council for Sustainable Development, BelTA has learned.
The Belarusian side expects the UN country agencies to take a principled position on the issue of illegitimate economic sanctions against Belarus as they were imposed in violation of international law and without the authorization of the UN Security Council.
Yuri Ambrazevich also spoke about the political context for the Sustainable Development Goals. "Speaking at the UN summit in September 2015, at which the international community adopted the 2030 Agenda, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that ‘without peace there can be no sustainable development'. This idea is fully supported by UN Secretary General António Guterres. Today, this thesis is more relevant than ever," the deputy minister emphasized.
He stressed that the most acute geopolitical conflict of our time is raging at the country's doorstep, which together with the growing transnational threats negate many development achievements already made by the international community towards the 2030 Agenda.
“Therefore, the primary task is to end the conflict in the neighboring country, and also stop the spiral of hostility between the great powers, the big players, so that such conflicts are not repeated in the future,” said the deputy minister.
The deputy minister of foreign affairs said that for many years Belarus has been calling for a global security dialogue. The Belarusian president in his letter to the heads of state and the UN secretary general stressed once again the need for a comprehensive global security dialogue in the true spirit of San Francisco. “We are convinced that sooner or later this initiative will be implemented, because there is no alternative to peace,” said Yuri Ambrazevich.
In his words, the negative global context affects literally every country on the planet, including Belarus. It is especially felt in connection with the economic restrictions imposed by Western countries against Belarus. Sanctions have made it difficult to implement the tasks set by the government. Yet, they have given a strong impetus to the development of the country's hidden internal reserves, regional integration.
