Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 2 October (BelTA) – The restart of the Helsinki Process may become an important preventive measure, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Belarus Sanaka Samarasinha said in an interview to the Belarus One TV channel on 1 October.

Sanaka Samarasinha believes that “the restart of the Helsinki Process may become a very important preventive measure.” “If the major world players – the EU, the United States, China, Russia, big associations of countries like, for instance, BRICS – take part in such a dialogue, it can become a very important step. Actions are needed in all the areas, including through the UN,” he added.

“Peace and stability are the highest values for the Belarusian authorities and the Belarusian people in general. I fully support the idea of inviting different stakeholders to Minsk,” said Sanaka Samarasinha.

“Belarus suffered greatly from different wars. Today when it talks about peace, it does this with the utmost seriousness and sincerity, keeping in mind its tragic past,” Sanaka Samarasinha said and noted that Belarus demonstrates its eagerness to help settle the conflict in Ukraine.

As BelTA earlier informed, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko put forward a proposal of starting a discussion on a new Helsinki process in the OSCE during the plenary session on 5 July 2017 to mark the start of the 26^th annual session of the OSCE PA in Minsk. The new Helsinki process would assist the conclusion of some global document by the world’s leading powers, help close the chapter on the long-completed cold war, avoiding the possibility of its renewal, and outline a strategic vision of new constructive relations in the OSCE zone.