MINSK, 24 May (BelTA) – The importance of Minsk as a convenient negotiations' venue is increasing, Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko said at the international forum “Eastern Europe: In Search of Security for All” on 24 May, BelTA has learned.
“It is for a reason that this event is taking place in Minsk. It has already become traditional for representatives of various countries and regions across the global to come here to discuss absolutely any topics, even the most critical ones, in a quiet environment and total safety. Due to the country's multi-vector foreign policy, respect for foreign partners, sustainable social and economic development, the country's role as a convenient venue for all types of negotiations is increasing,” the head of state said.
He noted that the conference drew experts and scientists from Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, the United States and China. “This is a testimony to the global nature of the issues you are discussing. After all, we are talking about conceptual aspects of international security, specific “hot” and “frozen” conflicts”, Alexander Lukashenko said.
In his words, the expert platform in Minsk is designed to facilitate the exchange of opinion and a well-reasoned discussion and to launch a dialogue the international relations need so badly.
“Any reasonable person would confirm that there is nothing more important today than peace and sustainable development. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to come up with clear-cut proposals on how to accommodate the interests of all the parties concerned. It is obvious for many people that since the end of the Cold War, Europe's security architecture has never experienced such a systemic crisis,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.
The president reminded that Belarus came forward with the initiative to launch a new large-scale international dialogue on security that should strive to overcome existing disagreements between the states in the Euro-Atlantic Region and in Eurasia. “It does not matter how you call it – New Helsinki Process, Helsinki-2 or any other name. It does not matter, either, where it will take place. And it does not matter at all who initiates this process. We all should initiate it, because peace is what matters most. It is important to make sure that such a dialogue gets underway and results in real improvement of international security,” Alexander Lukashenko noted.
