Miory Regional Executive Committee

Speech by President of Belarus Lukashenko A.G. at the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in a videoconference format

Dear Mr. Modi (Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. - BELTA note)!

Dear friends!

On behalf of the Belarusian people, please allow me to welcome the participants of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

I hope that we will be able to hold the next meeting in person. It seems the pandemic is over.

I am convinced that with the accession of such a powerful state with a rich history and culture as the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO, and new dialogue partners - the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Myanmar, the Republic of Maldives - we will become even more cohesive and effective.

I am confident that with the support of all member states, Belarus will also join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a full member in the near future. We have carried out the relevant work and are grateful to those who support us in this.

The theme of our summit is "Towards a Secure SCO". It is extremely relevant in the context of the deepening crisis in international relations.

It must be admitted that the previous security system was not ideal, but nevertheless it provided for checks and balances and the mandatory implementation of norms of international law.

Today, we see a complete breakdown of all rules and concepts. Therefore, it is not surprising that the SCO is forced to focus even more not on economic issues, but on problems of security and stability in the region.

Firmly defending the principles of building a just world for all states without exception, Minsk constantly works on various international platforms to find compromise solutions and resolutions.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to touch upon a number of relevant areas of our cooperation.

First. Challenges and threats such as destructive cyberattacks, digital data theft, and the targeted spread of fakes in the information space are becoming increasingly urgent for the member states of the organization. Speakers have already touched upon this.

We are ready to cooperate in this area, including training specialists, implementing joint cyber exercises, and mutual exchange of technical solutions.

Second. The West, clinging to its elusive dominance in several areas of economy and finance, is trying to curb the development of countries it dislikes and imposes illegal, barbaric sanctions against them.

To effectively counter this, Belarus is actively promoting the idea of global development. We consistently advocate for both the creation of a Greater Eurasian Partnership with countries with which we have already established close relations – the People's Republic of China, India, Pakistan, Iran, and our CIS partners – and for the integration of the Eurasian Economic Union, SCO, and BRICS formats in a broad context.

Third. An important component of continuous technological development is the exchange of experience and accumulated knowledge.

As one of the possible pilot projects on the SCO platform, we propose to develop a program for consolidating the information resources of technology transfer centers. This way, we can stimulate the processes of promotion and commercialization of scientific and technical projects.

Fourth. Amidst the exacerbation of global food security problems, the SCO states can count on Belarus's capabilities as one of the largest exporters of mineral fertilizers, agricultural products, food, and machinery.

For financial support of trade contracts and the implementation of various projects, Belarus fully supports the idea of elaborating the initiative to establish the SCO Development Bank. By the way, we have addressed this issue before.

Fifth. Minsk maintains its interest in transforming the common transport and logistics space of the SCO, including by intensifying international transportation, accelerating and digitizing control procedures, and developing and operating the North-South transport corridor.

Sixth. For a closer acquaintance with the cultural diversity of our organization, we propose considering the possibility of implementing a large-scale joint project – the SCO Cultural Festival, making it a traditional event.

Seventh. All our plans risk remaining on paper if we do not strengthen our work with the younger generation. Much of what we are discussing now will be implemented by today's students. We need to think about creating an "SCO for Youth" platform.

Dear colleagues!

In concluding my remarks, I want to congratulate Astana on assuming the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

I have no doubt that under Kazakhstan's presidency, the SCO will receive new impetus in its development.

Thank you for your attention.

Source: belta.by