Opinions & Interviews

“The perception of a young Belarusian state is improving every year. Today Minsk is associated with peace and security in Europe. The Minsk negotiating platform is viewed as a symbol of peacefulness,” said Igor Petrishenko.

According to the Ambassador, the development of the Belarusian nationhood took place in complicated times. “We survived and coped with the catastrophic aftermath of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. A total damage to our country made up $235 billion. We overcame the consequences of the Soviet Union collapse, which ‘assembly plant’ was Belarus. We withstood in the conditions of unjustified sanctions. We saved economy and agriculture. We saved the country and ensured its security. We did not allow undermining social stability, laid a political and economic foundation for development. Today Belarus is a state that looks into the future,” he said.

Igor Petrishenko stressed that the Belarusian people have been taking confident steps along the chosen road towards the achievement of the most important goal, which is the prosperous Belarus, the country which threatens no one, which is open to the world, which values peace, stability and wellbeing. “Modern Belarus is a state for people, with a developing socially-oriented economy, advanced science and rich culture. This primary pathway to the country’s development was reaffirmed at the 5^th Belarusian People’s Congress a week ago. The major goal of the country’s new five-year period is to enhance living conditions through the improving economic competitiveness, investment attraction and innovative development,” the Ambassador said.

Speaking about the Belarusian-Russian relations, the diplomat noted that the two countries enjoy close and fruitful cooperation in the atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding. He cited as a good example the 3^rd Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia which was held in Minsk in early June. The forum added new impetus to the development of the Union State project. “The benefit from intensifying interregional cooperation between the two countries is huge. We maintain direct trade and economic relations with all Russian regions. There are about 80 big joint companies in almost 40 of them. Close ties are maintained by over 8,000 Belarusians and Russian companies. There are more than 1,000 Belarusian-Russian joint ventures,” the Ambassador said.

Strengthening of integration cooperation in the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States and other international organizations remains an important area of joint work. “We are determined to build relations with the European Union and the United States on a mutually beneficial, pragmatic and equal basis, and not be friends with someone against someone,” said Igor Petrishenko.

Belarus is determined to work actively on the markets of Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Australia. “We are ready to develop mutually beneficial relations with all the nations, countries and regions. We are open for friendship and equal cooperation,” the diplomat added.

The solemn reception at the embassy to mark Belarus’ main national holiday gathered several hundreds of guests. The event was attended by famous Russian political and state figures, representatives of integration associations, the diplomatic corps accredited in the Russian capital, experts and media, the Belarusian diaspora, businessmen, and artists. Among them was State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Grigory Karasin, State Secretary of the Union State Grigory Rapota, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha, CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev, Executive Secretary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union State Sergei Strelchenko, Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Central Federal District of Russia Alexander Beglov, Chairman of the Federal National and Cultural Autonomy of Belarusians in Russia Sergei Kandybovich, painter Alexander Shilov.