In his speech, the Belarusian diplomat emphasised that, since founded, both the UN Conference on Disarmament and the Committee on Disarmament it replaced have made a great contribution to world peace, security and stability, “Unfortunately, our hope that that the new system of international relations after the Cold War would be based on mutual respect and co-operating, instead of competition gave us the false sense of complacency. Peace and security are now regarded as a given. So-called winners of the Cold War have decided to reject the concept that security must be equal and indivisible and disregard the legitimate security concerns of other countries. The mechanisms of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament, which have long served as a glue holding the international and regional security architecture, are collapsing and falling into disrepair before our very own eyes, but this process was set in motion long before today.”
Igor Sekreta lamented the fact that slightly more than two weeks ago, the New START ceased to exist. He also expressed his hope that the dangerous gap in nuclear arms control that has formed for the first time since early 1970s will be bridged with a new multilateral document.
“As the system of international security obligations and legal guarantees degrades with no regard for international law, the world has once again returned to the point where we can clearly see the nuclear threat. Intimidation, disinformation and dehumanisation of potential adversaries, as well as the priority development of the military-industrial complex, are becoming increasingly important. Under the pretext of a mythical threat from the East, NATO is taking unprecedented measures to increase military spending of its members to 5 percent. The military spending of the NATO countries combined has long exceeded one trillion US dollars. Europe’s military wheels are practically reaching wartime speed. If they do not intend to attack Belarus, as our Western neighbours claim, when why? No one spends money on missiles, mines and tanks for no reason!” the Belarusian diplomat noted.
The recent withdrawal of Belarus’ neighbours from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and Their Destruction has contributed to disrupting the international humanitarian law system and escalating military and political tensions in the region. It also plays into the hands of arms corporations.
“Who are they going to use anti-personnel mines against?” Igor Sekreta addressed the conference. “It seems their own citizens living in border areas. There are many military experts, representatives of special services, and people associated with special services and military departments in this room, I believe. And there’s no need for them to be told about the hazards of anti-personnel mines and their destructive effects, which are linked to the lack of accurate plans and diagrams of their location. In Belarus, a country that survived WWII, unexploded ordnance is still being removed during construction work. And our neighbours, having voluntarily withdrawn from the Convention on the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, are now building up this dangerous arsenal and will use it.”
There are still US tactical nuclear weapons stationed in a number of European countries. Poland has missile defence systems capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles. Certain European countries have announced their intention to deploy US medium- and short-range missiles on their territory or to purchase such weapons systems.
“How can a country like Belarus protect itself in the absence of reliable security guarantees and real measures of trust? We are not getting involved in a senseless arms race by radically increasing military spending. We have other places to spend our money — old people and children, improving the economic well-being of our citizens. However, in light of the present circumstances, we have been forced to deploy Russian tactical nuclear weapons on our territory as a deterrent. Russia’s Oreshnik missile system has also been deployed in Belarus for the same reasons. The Treaty on Security Guarantees within the Union State, signed last year by Belarus and Russia, provides for the use of any type of weapon, including nuclear weapons, for defence purposes. I emphasise: for defence purposes. Our response is symmetrical to the growing challenges and threats to national security and the escalating situation in the region. It is purely defensive and is fully in line with international law, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.”
The Belarusian diplomat reminded those criticising Belarus that back in 2019, the country put forward an initiative to develop a multilateral political declaration on the non-deployment of medium- and shorter-range missiles after the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Unfortunately, Belarus’ initiative was either not heard or no one wanted to hear and support it.
“We do not seek confrontation. Instead, we do everything we can to de-escalate military and political tensions in the region. The way we handled Zapad-2025, the Belarusian-Russian military exercise, in September last year is one good example. We significantly reduced it in scale and moved the main manoeuvres deeper inland. Unfortunately, many Western countries did not take part, although some countries, including the United States, had representatives present during the exercise,” Igor Sekreta noted.
One in three Belarusians lost their lives in WWII. A firm rejection of war, conflict and violence is embedded in the genetic code of every Belarusian.
“It is only through diplomacy and dialogue that we can overcome international conflicts and crises of confidence. This is why Belarus consistently advocates this approach. We hope that the efforts of the Board of Peace, established last week, will contribute to both peacebuilding in the Middle East and gaining valuable experience for other crisis areas around the world. We welcome the recent agreements between the United States and Russia to resume dialogue between high-level military departments. We look forward to further professional discussions on the future of Eurasian security at what is now a tradition for us — the 4th Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security scheduled for autumn this year. This is our significant contribution to overcoming confrontation and seeking joint solutions for Europe and Asia to create an equal and indivisible security space,” the Belarusian diplomat stated.
In conclusion, Belarus’ Deputy Foreign Minister touched upon the issue of prohibiting development and manufacturing of new types of mass destruction weapons and new delivery systems for such weapons, which is one of Belarus’ priorities at disarmament forums in 2026. He addressed the conference, saying that at the 81st UNGA session, Belarus plans to present its draft resolution titled ‘Prohibition of Development and Manufacturing of New Types of Mass Destruction Weapons and New Delivery Systems for Such Weapons’.
“Global peace is not a given nor an option, but a vital necessity. Peace is to be pursued through the rejection of confrontation and political ambitions, through the development of effective and long-term solutions in global security and disarmament. We call on everyone to follow this approach and we fully support it on our part,” Igor Sekreta stated.