Opinions & Interviews

Belarus' role as bridge between West, East appreciated

MINSK, 3 September (BelTA) – Belarus’ role as a bridge between the East and the West is valuable, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger told the media commenting on the Belarusian initiative of Helsinki 2, BelTA has learned.

Thomas Greminger said that he “appreciates Belarus’ role as a bridge in the situation where there are still big disagreements between the West and the East and a conflict in Europe”. According to the secretary general, in such conditions it was important to suggest a platform for dialogue.

“I think that this proposal [to hold a new OSCE meeting in the format of Helsinki 2] is a medium-term planning tool,” he said.

The OSCE secretary general is taking part in the international conference on countering terrorism through innovative approaches and the use of new and emerging technologies in Minsk. He emphasized the relevance of the forum and expressed confidence that the integrating of efforts at the level of governments, civil society, private sector, and IT specialists increases the chances of bringing terrorism to an end.

The international conference brought together 66 delegations, including representatives of 55 states as well as international non-government organizations and academic communities. The forum aims to discuss multilateral efforts and develop solutions at the global, regional and national levels to combat terrorists and terrorist groups amid a wider access to and a growing complexity of applied technologies. The conference will be divided into three themed sessions to discuss the misuse of new technologies and artificial intelligence by terrorists, approaches and strategies to counteract terrorist propaganda and the misuse of scientific progress.

The conference is running in Minsk on 3-4 September. The event, co-organized by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), is held in a follow-up to the international high-level meeting that took place in Minsk under the aegis of the OSCE in October 2018.

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