Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 28 November (BelTA) - The themes that Belarus has suggested for the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Central European Initiative in Minsk are important for the entire region, Natalia Zhilevich, Ambassador-at-Large at the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the media, BelTA has learned.

The discussions in Minsk are dedicated to digital technologies in the context of geopolitical security. Natalia Zhilevich noted that this theme was discussed during the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels last week. “Belarus raises the themes which are interesting for the whole Europe. The proposals of the Belarusian side get support,” Natalia Zhilevich noted.

The heads of government of the CEI member states who will gather in Minsk in December will also discuss the themes proposed by Belarus. They are already reflected in the CEI plan of action for 2018-2020 which will be considered at the summit and will be the responsibility of the next CEI Presidency - Croatia.

The diplomat stressed that all this suggests that Belarus, with its rich intellectual potential, can give a lot to the European community.

Natalia Zhilevich noted that Belarus is holding the CEI Presidency for the first time. The ambassador called it a big event both for Belarus and for the European community. All the activities planned for the period of the Belarus CEI Presidency in 2017 are carried out successfully and attract a lot of attention to the country. The motto of Belarus' presidency in the CEI is to promote connectivity in a greater Europe.

The CEI is a regional association that includes 18 countries. The main task of the CEI is to promote flexible and pragmatic European regional cooperation in order to prevent the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe.