Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 4 January (BelTA) – Belarus has occupied its own niche in today’s foreign political and foreign economic context, reads the review of Belarus’ foreign policy in 2017 and activities of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2017 published on the website of the ministry, BelTA informs.

“Belarus found its niche in the contemporary foreign political and foreign economic context, demonstrating the ability to be a regional player, generating constructive approaches to the urgent problems of the modernity,” the ministry noted.

According to the review, major foreign policy initiatives brought forward by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko – promoting connectivity in Europe and partnership of integration processes, updating the all-European dialogue on strengthening confidence and security-building measures and cooperation – reflected the unifying agenda which Minsk offers to other members of the international community.

The international situation in 2017 was characterized by high instability, a combination of centrifugal and centripetal trends, economic imbalances, the reluctance of the world players to give up their own national interests for the common good. An evident crisis of trust in the European region, in the wide Eurasian space, and in the world in general showed that the demand for constructive dialogue and compromises still exceeds the supply.

“In such difficult circumstances, in 2017 Belarus demonstrated resistance to unfavorable external factors and the ability to counter and mitigate their impact. As in the past, the Belarusian diplomacy was aimed at pursuing a well-balanced multifaceted foreign policy in accordance with the president’s instructions, comprehensive protection of national interests, strengthening regional security and stability,” the ministry noted.

Amid mistrust between Russia and the West, on the one hand Belarus remained committed to strategic partnership with Russia, integration within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, and traditional interaction with members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States. On the other hand, Belarus continued to foster constructive pragmatic relations with the European Union, the United States of America, and other Western states.

The Chinese vector of Belarus’ foreign policy was filled with new content. Belarus was among the first countries in the world to join the implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative in several promising fields.

In order to diversify its foreign political relations, Belarus continued to build other geopolitical pillars in the so-called “distant arc” regions: Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.