Events

25 Oct 2023

Delegates from over 30 countries to take part in high-level security conference in Minsk

An archive photo

MINSK, 25 October (BelTA) – Over 300 delegates from more than 30 countries will take part in the high-level international conference “Eurasian security: Reality and prospects in a transforming world” that will be held in Minsk on 26-27 October, BelTA reports.

“180 foreign delegates have already confirmed their participation. The total attendance will be about 300. Some 120 out of 180 foreign delegates will come here specifically for this conference. Participants are expected from all parts of the world. We are seeking the broadest possible representation at the event,” Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anatoly Glaz said.

He noted that in the given circumstances it is very difficult to hold such events and to gather representatives of the West and the East in one place. But the Belarusian side managed to fulfill this task: “Many were skeptical about this idea. But the number and profile of the declared [participants] suggest that maybe some kind of discussion will be possible. Naturally, no one entertains illusions that during a two-day event we will be able to resolve all security issues in Eurasia. But we can at least offer a platform for people to talk and hear each other.”

The purpose of the conference is a candid and inclusive discussion about Eurasian security prospects amidst the unfolding crisis of the existing world order, long-standing military and political contradictions between key players and the almost complete absence of communication between them.

The initiative to hold such a conference was put forward by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko at the CSTO summit in Yerevan in November 2022. A reminder, Belarus currently chairs the organization and the motto of its presidency is “Through solidarity and cooperation to peace and security.” The head of state proposed to hold a comprehensive discussion of the international agenda on the sidelines of a high-level conference on Eurasian security and invite senior officials of the secretariats of the UN, SCO, CIS, and other international organizations.

Among the participants of the high-level plenary meeting are Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov, Executive Director of the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measure in Asia Kairat Sarybay, SCO Deputy Secretary General Grigory Logvinov, State Secretary of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Dmitry Mezentsev, CIS First Deputy Secretary General Leonid Anfimov, Member of the Board - Minister in charge of Technical Regulation of the Eurasian Economic Commission Viktor Nazarenko.

An address of China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi is expected to be delivered at the conference. Other participants include Myanmar’s Union Minister for International Cooperation Ko Ko Hlaing, and also the deputy ministers of foreign affairs of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Iran.

The two-day conference will run a number of thematic and special sessions focusing on various issues. The conference expects to welcome participants from Austria, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Brazil, Vatican, Great Britain, Hungary, Vietnam, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar, China, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Norway, UAE, Pakistan, Palestine, Republic of Korea, Russia, Serbia, Syria, USA, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, France, and Switzerland. Various international organizations and state associations will also be in attendance.

Among the participants will be senior officials and representatives of the leading Belarusian think tanks, academia. All in all, about 300 participants are expected to attend.

The event is set to highlight several specific topics: global and regional geopolitical prerequisites for Eurasian security; economic integration and alignment in favor of the single Eurasian security architecture; interaction of international/regional organizations in Eurasia; Strategic stability and nuclear weapons: Threats and opportunities for Eurasia in the new conditions.

The conference is expected o chart the promising contours of Eurasian security.