Events

13 May 2023

Belarus sees sanctions as serious challenge on way to reaching Sustainable Development Goals

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MINSK, 13 May (BelTA) – Sanctions represent a serious challenge on the way to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yuri Ambrazevich stressed it as he met with Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia of the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) Gwi-Yeop Son, the ministry’s press service told BelTA.

Gwi-Yeop Son praised the effective organization of national efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. In her words, Belarus’ experience can be used as an example for many other UN member states. In turn, Yuri Ambrazevich mentioned the importance of continuing tight partnership between Belarus and all the UN agencies for the sake of improving the national system of development, international technical cooperation, and for realizing global initiatives. The official stressed Belarus’ dedication to realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is confirmed by the country’s high ratings in reaching the SDGs.

At the same time Yuri Ambrazevich pointed out that unilateral coercive measures or sanctions, which are introduced by Western countries against undesirable states, including Belarus, represent a serious challenge on the way to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. It was noted that the organization of the 2023 SDG Summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2023 should become a venue for an honest discussion about problems of the negative impact of sanctions on prospects of global social and economic development and ecological development.

BelTA reported earlier that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has invited Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko to attend the 2023 SDG Summit. Aleksandr Lukashenko sent a letter in response to Antonio Guterres’ invitation: “Minsk fully welcomes this initiative. We believe that the upcoming event is a good opportunity to summarize intermediate results of our common efforts. The Republic of Belarus is fully committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, they are effectively integrated into our national strategic documents.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko also emphasized the importance of making the summit a source of ideas and initiatives that contribute to the elimination of problems on the way to achieving the SDGs: “You quite rightly noted that ‘multiple crises of the past three years have dealt a serious blow to efforts to achieve the SDGs’. It is now clear that there can be no sustainable development in the world without peace. I said it back in 2015 when I was speaking at the UN summit that adopted the Sustainable Development Goals. You have also repeatedly voiced a similar idea.”