Opinions & Interviews

MOSCOW, 27 October (BelTA) – Belarus supports Russia’s actions to combat international terrorism in Syria, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said after the joint session of the boards of the Belarusian and Russian ministries of foreign affairs in Moscow on 27 October, BelTA has learned.

Vladimir Makei emphasized that, when evaluating any events in the world, the Belarusian side first of all assesses its compliance with the international law. He noted that Russia has launched military activities in Syria at the request of the Syrian government, so these activities are fully compliant with current international norms. Vladimir Makei also pointed out that the Russian side informed Belarus on its decision to take part in settling the crisis in Syria a few hours after the decision was made.

The Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs also recalled the paradoxical situation when Russia had not been invited to the U.S.-led international coalition for settling the Syrian crisis.

Vladimir Makei emphasized that international terrorism is a threat to the whole mankind, and the international community should clearly identify its role in the fight against this scourge. Combating terrorism is a priority for Belarus, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed. Vladimir Makei believes that success in this fight can be achieved only through collaborative effort, and Russia as a major international player should be involved in this process.

The Minister also believes that the United Nations should play a more important role in resolving the Syrian crisis and combating international terrorism. “We will be working in this direction,” he said.

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov stated the fundamental position of the Russian side on settling the situation in Syria. “We seek to help our partners come to an agreement on the definition of an international terrorist. There is no universal understanding of this notion. The U.S.-led international coalition does not have it either,” Sergei Lavrov noted.

He also believes it is necessary to clarify who should be considered as Syrian opposition. Besides, the Russian side believes that the efforts to establish a dialogue between the opposition groups and the Syrian government should involve all the parties concerned, including Syria’s neighboring states and Middle Eastern countries.