Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 1 September (BelTA) - Belarus will spare no effort to further de-escalate situation in the region, Vladimir Andreichenko, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, said when speaking at the Fourth World Conference of the Speakers of Parliament: “Placing democracy at the service of peace and sustainable development: Building the world the people want”, BelTA learned from the press service of the House of Representatives.

"Having entered the 21st century, the humankind has faced new threats to international peace and security. More than 60 million people have abandoned their homes due to conflicts. That is why today, as never, the politicians need to take extremely balanced and reasonable decisions. Belarus has always advocated and keeps advocating the peaceful settlement of international disputes in strict accordance with spirit and letter of the Charter of the United Nations. We are deeply convinced that unwillingness to enter into equal and respectful dialogue, unilateral coercive measures and sanctions are contradicting the principles of sustainable development,” Vladimir Andreichenko said.

According to the Speaker, Belarus will spare no effort to further de-escalate situation in the region, carry out its international obligations with respect to combating organized crime, human trafficking, terrorism, illegal migration and drug trafficking.

Vladimir Andreichenko believes that building a world the people want is impossible without further strengthening the role of the United Nations and creation of effective financing mechanisms. “It is crucial to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the post-2015 period by international assistance, which includes also fulfillment by the donors of their obligations with respect to financing for development. We are also convinced that the United Nations should not discontinue the assistance programs in the middle-income countries, including Belarus,” he noted.

The Speaker also pointed out that placing democracy at the service of peace and development is the absolute priority of Belarusian Parliament. "By employing legislative powers, dialogue with the civil society, parliamentary diplomacy, Members of Parliament shall take maximum efforts to ensure the implementation of the new sustainable development agenda,” he assured.