Opinions & Interviews

Speaker: Belarusians are the only ones to decide on their path of development

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MINSK, 2 April (BelTA) - Only the Belarusian people have the right to determine their own way of development, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly Vladimir Andreichenko said at the opening of the fifth session of the lower chamber of Belarus' parliament of the seventh convocation on 2 April, BelTA has learned.

“Only the Belarusian people have the right to determine their own path of development, including constitutional issues. Western colleagues, if they want to maintain the existing international order and stability, need to approach all the processes objectively and impartially. Belarusian MPs are open to dialogue and ready to cooperate in any format,” said Vladimir Andreichenko.

The speaker emphasized that the world is not becoming safer. “The arms race, increased terrorist and extremist activity, drugs, cross-border crime, environmental health, the pandemic - the solution to these problems cannot be delayed. There is no alternative to dialogue and cooperation here. The initiatives of the head of state, which Belarus promotes in the international arena by pursuing a multi-vector peace-loving foreign policy, are aimed precisely at the development of dialogue. We need to continue to look for opportunities for fruitful contacts. There are many sensible politicians in Europe. I am sure that all of them see the futility of the policy of diktat, sanctions and interference in the internal affairs of our state,” he said.

According to Vladimir Andreichenko, despite the restrictions associated with the pandemic, the House of Representatives continues to be active in the international arena. About 30 online events have been held since the beginning of the year alone. “The main focus of the deputy corps is to inform the international community about the situation in the country, the decisions of the Belarusian People's Congress and the progress of their implementation. Useful consultations were held with partners from Austria, Spain, and Turkey. Meetings were held with ambassadors of Venezuela, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, Syria and France. Negotiations with colleagues from China are in the pipeline, and the agenda of this important meeting must be filled with concrete content. We have worked in the multilateral format at major international platforms such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, ASEAN IPA, the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy, and others. This kind of work should be continued,” he said.

During the winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Belarusian delegation presented a draft resolution on combating drug use among children and young people. “This is the ninth resolution already, which we promote on this platform. It is important for us to ensure its adoption. Despite the cancellation of the full-format summer session of this organization in Bucharest, we still need to find ways to continue working with our colleagues on the issues of mutual interest. We have plenty of topics for discussion and debate,” the chairman of the House of Representatives said.

The Russian Federation undoubtedly remains Belarus' main foreign policy partner. “This was also stressed by the participants of the Belarusian People's Congress. Today, Minsk and Moscow are celebrating the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Belarus and Russia. Our relations based on the brotherly unity of the Belarusian and Russian peoples, common values are a guarantee of further deepening of the union construction and improving the well-being of the citizens of the two countries. This year we are marking an important event – the 25th anniversary of the Union State parliamentarism. This anniversary is a good occasion for us to take a fresh look at the way passed and to plan further joint work. It is with this in mind that we should prepare for the 60th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union State in June,” said Vladimir Andreichenko.

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