Belarus ready to develop mutually beneficial relations with NAM states

MINSK, 2 March (BelTA) - Belarus is ready for even more active development of mutually beneficial and equal relations with the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states, Belarus' Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko said at the NAM Contact Group Summit in response to COVID-19 that is taking place in Azerbaijan, BelTA has learned.

According to Igor Petrishenko, unfortunately Belarus, and also some other member states of the Non-Aligned Movement, had to and still have to cope with unprecedented economic and political pressure from the West.

“Unilateral coercive measures in the form of voluntaristic restrictions and bans on trade, travel, transit, financial transactions, and cooperation within international organizations are imposed by individual countries in flagrant violation of the UN Charter and international law. You are assured that such sanctions hit the ‘regime', but in fact they negatively affect the standard of living of all citizens of a certain country, undermining the efforts of the affected people for sustainable recovery from the pandemic and development,” the deputy prime minister stressed.

He added that unilateral coercive measures have a devastating impact on the global economy, trade, security and development prospects of all members of the international community without exception. “Because of such measures, opportunities for international cooperation and, accordingly, for our successful development are narrowed. We, members of the Non-Aligned Movement, all find ourselves indirect victims of the sanctions imposed on our allies. In this context, Belarus appeals to the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement for cooperation: we should unite, we cannot stand alone,” Igor Petrishenko said.

He stressed that Belarus was ready for even more active development of mutually beneficial and equal relations with the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement in industry, agriculture, construction, and healthcare. Belarus is also ready to share its experience in healthcare and education.

“We have a lot of interesting proposals. The recent visit of the Belarusian president to Zimbabwe was a vivid illustration of that. It revealed the potential of mutual cooperation in a new way. Belarus is a hospitable country. We will be glad to see everyone in our country, including at traditional cultural festivals, which have become a Belarusian brand in the world of cultures,” the deputy prime minister said.