Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Mikhail Ryzhenkov at the general debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. Belarus Foreign Minister: Unilateral Sanctions Grossly Violate UN Charter UN
Many countries are moving away from the principles of the UN Charter, acting in the interests of their own elites, and not in the interests of the world community. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Mikhail Ryzhenkov in his speech at the general debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
“The UN must free itself from the dictate of individual states that suffer from permissiveness and their own exclusivity,” he said.
Resolution of the conflict in Ukraine
Speaking about the situation in Ukraine, Ryzhenkov warned that NATO is strengthening its military presence on the western borders of Belarus, which raises concerns about the possibility of the conflict escalating to global proportions.
He stressed that Belarus supports a peaceful settlement and offered his country as a platform for negotiations, as happened 10 years ago. “We will do everything in our power to achieve peace on the long-suffering Ukrainian land,” the representative of Belarus added.
The minister also expressed concern that the conflict in Ukraine is dragging on due to external influence, noting that NATO is using Ukraine for its own interests, which could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Security Council
The Belarusian Foreign Minister also spoke about the need to reform the UN Security Council, adding that developing countries should play a more active role in decision-making. He noted the importance of supporting initiatives from the Global South aimed at development and peaceful coexistence.
Ryzhenkov also said that last year Western countries conducted a campaign aimed at preventing Belarus from being elected to this body. According to him, the West was afraid of Belarus’ “honest voice” in the Security Council.
Unilateral sanctions
The minister separately touched upon the issue of “illegal unilateral sanctions” that are applied to a number of countries and limit their access to resources, slowing down development. He called on the UN to pay more attention to the negative impact of sanctions on the global economy and sustainable development.
“By the way, Belarus responded to the latest package of illegal sanctions with openness and unilaterally abolished the visa regime for citizens of all EU countries. Thousands of EU citizens have already taken advantage of this, visited our country and were not disappointed,” Ryzhenkov added.
“We are proud that we have created a socially-oriented state, where caring for people is the most important priority of national policy,” the minister emphasized.