MOSCOW, 17 November (BelTA) – A session of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that will take place in Moscow on 18 November is aimed at implementing the agreements reached by the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries during a recent summit in Tianjin, China, BelTA learned from Belarusian First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lukashevich.
The official said: “Today the Belarusian delegation led by Prime Minister Aleksandr Turchin has arrived in Moscow to participate in a session of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It is a continuation of the agreements reached in Tianjin not so long ago during events involving meetings of heads of state. [President of the Republic of Belarus] Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko personally took part in them. You and I look and see smooth dynamics when top-level agreements are taking shape and are starting to get implemented, let’s say, at lower levels of pyramids.”
The diplomat recalled that Belarus had become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization not so long before. “We have become the country to secure a solid ten in this organization. One can say it added kind of symbolism to it. Another 15 countries look forward to their full membership. There are observer states. On the whole, we joined the organization in good time and have found a good place in it,” the first deputy minister of foreign affairs stated.
Speaking about what topics the Belarusian delegation intends to raise during the forthcoming meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization heads of government, Sergey Lukashevich mentioned the integration of integrations initiative and the matter of sanctions. “We speak against the creation of artificial barriers. We are going to say that sanctions and unilateral barriers are not conducive to the growth of economic development of either individual countries or of entire regions,” the diplomat noted.
“Certainly, we are also going to talk about our interest in setting up an independent financial institution. This matter is currently topical for us and it is understandable why we are in favor of it. Certainly, we don’t want political troubles to somehow affect economic development, including decisions of financial institutions – that is what you and I observe today,” he continued.
The Belarusian delegation also intends to talk about Belarus’ vision of future implementation of Shanghai Cooperation Organization ideas. “We will talk about tourism potential opportunities within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s large family. We will talk about manufacturing cooperation within the framework of this organization. Without a doubt we will talk about the reduction of transport barriers and about merging us into a common large logistics and transportation system where goods will be delivered as fast as possible without any unnecessary barriers from Brest to the farthest point of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” the Belarusian first deputy minister of foreign affairs stressed.
“Our arrival in this organization indicates that we are ready to move as fast as our partners are ready to move,” he stated. Sergey Lukashevich pointed out that due to its size, human potential, and the clear-cut power vertical Belarus has a peculiar kind of mobility. “It is obvious that not all participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization resemble us but it is a big advantage for us. We are easy to mobilize. We promptly adapt to changing conditions. It may be the factor that secures the survival of our economy and a factor in our having the positive results that we are proud of,” the first deputy minister of foreign affairs believes.
“I will give you a small example that is well-known on the whole: when we talk about food security. You are well aware of the fact that Belarus is a shining example not only for African countries but also for our partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Little Belarus has managed to accomplish such reforms, make such decisions that allow feeding not only the country but also a huge number of people across the globe,” Sergey Lukashevich added.
Follow us on:
