Astana, 5 July 2024
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko took part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana on 4 July. The summit took place at the Palace of Independence. Completing the procedure for Belarus’ accession to the SCO as a member state was the main item on the summit’s agenda for Belarus.
The President thanked the host of the summit – Kazakhstan – for the excellent organization of the forum and the warm welcome in Astana. “I want to acknowledge your successful work as the SCO chair and your contribution to helping Belarus become member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an event that will go down in Belarus’ history as an important milestone,” the Belarusian leader said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko called it symbolic that Belarus joined the SCO in the year when it marks the 80th anniversary of liberation from the Nazi invaders.
“This is a wonderful gift to the Belarusian people,” said the head of state.
The President also thanked the heads of state of the SCO members for their unanimous support for this decision.
The head of state named the areas that Belarus will highlight as a full-fledged member of the organization. He assured that the country is ready to work shoulder to shoulder with the new chairmanship (China will take over the SCO chairmanship from Kazakhstan) to implement joint priority projects.
International security
“We strongly believe that in the 21st century it is imperative to build genuine and indivisible global security. That said, the countries of the global majority should take the lead, since the self-obsessed and self-centered West failed to do this. Today there are no leaders there who are capable of making important decisions on their own,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
He assured that Belarus will try to adapt its initiatives in this crucial area.
Economy
The head of state remarked that the SCO partners have come up with mutually beneficial projects in energy, transport and logistics, finance and industrial cooperation. “If we develop clear-cut rules on our platform, everyone will benefit from this, including those outside the SCO region of responsibility,” the Belarusian leader noted.
Food security
Speaking about food security, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that traditional contributors to food insecurity such as climate change and natural disasters are coupled with artificial barriers, including illegal sanctions on mineral fertilizers, equipment, plant protection products, and supply routes. This leads to hunger crisis in developing countries, including the poorest countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
“We have the power to demolish the walls of the unipolar world, feed people, and eliminate discord and conflicts stemming from social inequality, food and resource shortages,” the head of state emphasized.
International standing
“We will make every effort to ensure that our organization is gaining more weight and the number of its allies and supporters expands,” Aleksandr Lukashenko assured.
He noted that many Belarusian ideas have already received international support. This applies to technology transfer, information security, transport and logistics, manufacturing, trade and investment.
“Now, in our new capacity, we will strive to align our proposals with the initiatives of our organization,” the President said.
Mutual enrichment of cultures
“Belarus is fully aware that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is not only about security, economy and trade. It is also a platform for mutual enrichment of cultures, which will certainly bring our peoples closer,” the head of state noted.
Source – https://president.gov.by/en/events/ucastie-v-zasedanii-soveta-glav-gosudarstv-clenov-sos
Aleksandr Lukashenko meeting with China President Xi Jinping in Astana
Astana, 4 July 2024
Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with China President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan on 4 July.
Xi Jinping congratulated Aleksandr Lukashenko on Belarus’ acquiring a new status within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Belarus had become a full member of the organization during the summit in Astana earlier that day.
The China President said: “Your country celebrated Independence Day yesterday. Today your country has become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. I heartily congratulate you.”
He reminded that the Belarus President visited China twice in 2023. During the negotiations the parties sketched out plans for advancing all-weather strategic partnership. Tight contacts are maintained at all levels.
“We will definitely facilitate further stable development of our relations,” Xi Jinping stated. The Chinese leader added that the parties intend to go forward in this direction by leaps and bounds.
In turn, Aleksandr Lukashenko thanked the China President for the colossal support Belarus had received on the way to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization membership.
“I am very glad that you are about to become the presiding country [in 2025]. It means I will have an extra opportunity to visit the People’s Republic of China next year. I’ve noted down your initiatives that you promote in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization: global security, global development, global civilization, global control of artificial intelligence. You’ve already noticed positive and negative aspects of artificial intelligence. We support all your initiatives by all means. Particularly the key initiative to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. This initiative is consonant with Brazil’s initiative,” the President noted.
Source: https://president.gov.by/en/events/vstreca-s-predsedatelem-knr-si-czin-pinom-1720102033
Aleksandr Lukashenko meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres
4 July 2024
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the SCO summit in Astana on 4 July.
Cooperation with the United Nations is one of the most important vectors of Belarus’ foreign policy. Since the country gained independence, it has put forward a number of important initiatives at the UN that bolstered Belarus’ positive image on the international arena.
Aleksandr Lukashenko’s initiative to embark on a broad international dialogue to restore trust and strengthen security in the spirit of San Francisco is being promoted.
Belarus uses the UN rostrum to speak out against unilateral coercive measures.
The country has developed a national architecture to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN Agenda 2030).