Address by President of Belarus A.G. Lukashenko at the Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation via Videoconference
Dear Mr. Modi (Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. - BELTA note)!
Dear friends!
On behalf of the Belarusian people, please allow me to welcome the participants of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
I hope that we will be able to hold the next meeting in person. It seems the pandemic is over.
I am convinced that with the accession of such a powerful state as the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its rich history and culture, to the SCO, and with new dialogue partners – the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Myanmar, and the Republic of Maldives – we will become even more cohesive and effective.
I am confident that with the support of all member states, Belarus will also join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a full member in the near future. We have carried out the relevant work and are grateful to those who support us in this endeavour.
The theme of our summit is "Towards a Secure SCO". This is extremely relevant in the context of the deepening crisis in international relations.
We must admit that the previous security system was not ideal, but it nevertheless provided for checks and balances and the mandatory observance of international law.
Today, however, we are witnessing a complete breakdown of all rules and concepts. Therefore, it is not surprising that the SCO is forced to focus even more on security and stability issues in the region, rather than on economic matters.
Firmly upholding the principles of building a just world for all states without exception, Minsk consistently works to find compromise solutions and resolutions on various international platforms.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to touch upon a number of pressing areas of our cooperation.
First. Challenges and threats such as destructive cyberattacks, theft of digital data, and the deliberate spread of fakes in the information space are becoming increasingly pressing for the member states of the organisation. Speakers have already mentioned this.
We are ready to cooperate in this area, including training specialists, implementing joint projects on cyber exercises, and mutual exchange of technical solutions.
Second. The West, clinging to its elusive dominance in a number of economic and financial spheres, is trying to curb the development of countries it dislikes and is imposing illegal, barbaric sanctions against them.
To effectively counter this, Belarus is actively promoting the idea of global development. We consistently advocate for both the creation of a Greater Eurasian Partnership with countries with which we have already established close relations – the People's Republic of China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and our CIS partners – and for the integration of the formats of the Eurasian Economic Union, the SCO, and BRICS in a broad context.
Third. An important component of continuous technological development is the exchange of experience and accumulated knowledge.
As one of the possible pilot projects on the SCO platform, we propose to develop a program for the integration of information resources of technology transfer centres. This will allow us to stimulate the processes of promotion and commercialisation of scientific and technical projects.
Fourth. In the context of escalating global food security challenges, SCO member states can count on Belarus's capabilities as one of the largest exporters of mineral fertilisers, agricultural products, food, and machinery.
For the financial support of trade contracts and the implementation of various projects, Belarus fully supports the idea of elaborating the initiative to establish an SCO Development Bank. Incidentally, we have addressed this issue before.
Fifth. Minsk remains interested in transforming the common transport and logistics space of the SCO, including by intensifying international transportation, accelerating and digitalising control procedures, and developing and operating the North-South transport corridor.
Sixth. For a closer acquaintance with the cultural diversity of our organisation, we propose to consider the possibility of implementing a large-scale joint project – an SCO Festival of Cultures, making it a traditional event.
Seventh. All our plans risk remaining on paper if we do not strengthen our work with the younger generation. Much of what we are discussing now will be implemented by today's students. We need to think about creating an "SCO for Youth" platform.
Dear colleagues!
In conclusion, I would like to congratulate Astana on assuming the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
I have no doubt that under Kazakhstan's presidency, the SCO will receive new impetus in its development.
Thank you for your attention.
Source: belta.by