Press releases

SOCHI, 23 October (BelTA) – Young people from different countries expressed support of Belarus’ initiative on a new Helsinki process during an open dialogue at the 19^th World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi, BelTA has learned.

The open dialogue discussed youth for peace and good neighborliness. Young leaders from different countries talked over an alarming situation in the world and the measures they can undertake to rectify it. During the discussion representatives of the youth organizations of Russia, Cuba and other states supported Helsinki 2 model put forward by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. This pertains to a new global process of peace-building, similar to the Helsinki Process of the 1970s, with a view to achieving a better and fair world order, and also “integration of integrations”.

“This is a very good initiative. We, the youth, should unanimously support it,” noted Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lenin Communist Youth Union of Russia Vladimir Isakov. He stressed that the opinion of the Belarusian president is respected in the world. “The initiative on restarting the Helsinki Process should be advanced by different means: information resources, meetings and panel discussions,” added Vladimir Isakov.

Young people expressed confidence that Minsk is ready to become a major venue for Helsinki 2. It is in the Belarusian capital were the famous agreements on settling the conflict in Ukraine were signed. Talks on Ukraine regularly take place in Minsk.

The open dialogue launched a new global campaign “Send a peace card”. The youth of the world will be sending cards with a call for a peaceful policy to leaders of their countries. The first cards will be with the images of Minsk, which has been recently considered the capital of peace-building.

Following the discussion, young people adopted a resolution expressing serious concern over a growing threat of unleashing a big war. Anxiety among young people is caused by irresponsible statements by politicians about the possibility of using military force to solve existing interstate problems. The resolution emphasizes that the Belarusian proposal to restart the Helsinki process is very timely and has great prospects. In addition, young people called for announcing 2019 a Year of Peace and Good Neighborliness on the planet.

The open dialogue on the final day of the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students was held by the Belarusian national youth union BRSM. In Belarus, this project has become a universal platform for direct communication between young people and politicians, public figures, businessmen.

The 19^th World Festival of Youth and Students gathered over 29,000 young professionals in various fields from more than 180 countries.