Opinions & Interviews

MOSCOW, 16 April (BelTA) – Being located in the center of Europe, Belarus is interested in stability on the continent more than any other state, Belarusian Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov said at the conference on international security Global Security: Challenges and Prospects in Moscow on 16 April, BelTA has learned.

“Belarus is situated in the center of Europe, at the crossroads of important transit routes. It borders on the main regional geopolitical players such as Russia and the countries of the European Union and NATO. Today we find ourselves in the center of events, so we are interested in maintaining peace and stability in the region more than anyone else,” the minister noted.

Andrei Ravkov pointed out that for Belarus the main priority and a guarantee of its political, economic, information, and military security is its participation, on equal terms, in such integration associations as the Belarus-Russia Union State, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). “However, this does not mean that we give up on a constructive dialogue with other states and their allies. We will continue to develop our cooperation for the sake of ensuring regional and global security with any state or international organization on the principles of equality and non-interference in internal affairs. Belarus is open to all. For the sake of peace and stability we are ready to talk with everyone, including our Western colleagues. However, if we want to get traction on this, we should treat each other with trust, respect for traditions and the constitutional framework. Talking from a position of diktat, threat of force, economic, political and media pressure is counterproductive and only serves to exacerbate the situation,” Andrei Ravkov emphasized.