Opinions & Interviews

Volfovich: Belarus will provide a transitional bridge between East and West in SCO

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MINSK, 9 April (BelTA) - Belarus will provide a transitional bridge from East to West in the SCO, State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Aleksandr Volfovich said in an interview with Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA has learned.

“There is a struggle between the West and the East again. This is probably a philosophical topic - life goes in a spiral. On one side is the United States and under its aegis the collective West, which loses a lot in economic terms from interaction with the United States to the detriment of interaction with China, the Russian Federation, India and other countries that are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Belarus is just that transitional bridge from East to West. The West can win if it comes to its senses and follows the right path, the path of dialogue, constructive interaction and cooperation,” Aleksandr Volfovich said.

The West acts to the detriment of its economic interests by imposing sanctions against Belarus, damaging its own economy, he said. “Look at what farmers in Europe are doing today. This is not the result of a good life. This is an economic crisis, which is already spilling out. We would like to see the political leadership of the Western countries come to their senses and not aggravate relations. Belarus will not lose from this, while they may gain from it. Belarus as a European country, which is at the transition between East and West, will contribute to the rapprochement and expansion of the SCO towards the West,” the state secretary of the Security Council of Belarus said.

He also said what benefits Belarus would get from joining the SCO. “For Belarus, the Russian Federation and China are strategic partners with whom Belarus has established good bilateral relations. When we address issues on a larger scale - on the platforms of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - it will contribute to the economic development of the country and improve social guarantees for our residents, which is the most important thing. As our president puts it, people, regardless of all the threats, all the economic sanctions and other issues, must live well. We are in the center of Europe after all. Belarus is a model of maintaining peace and security today. The president and the government, as well as the special services, are doing a lot to ensure this. Our country's accession to the SCO will further strengthen security, expand the scope of international cooperation and economic opportunities to improve the welfare of our country,” Aleksandr Volfovich emphasized.

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