Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei participates in the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (second day)

On September 22, 2022 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, took part in the meeting of the UN Security Council on Maintenance of Peace and Security of Ukraine. 

In his statement, V.Makei called the situation in Ukraine a great tragedy and pointed to the cause-and-effect links of the events. The Foreign Minister stressed that systematic violation and negligence of the security risks in the region, lack of due attention and consideration of the interests of the parties involved, along with arrogant position of particular countries have served as the prerequisites of the conflict.

The Foreign Minister recalled that Belarus had repeatedly warned that the security of one state could not be ensured at the expense of the security of another. V.Makei drew the participants' attention to our country's contribution to the efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine and ensure regional security.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that Belarus, being a direct neighbor, has the right to be a party to the negotiations between the conflicting parties. Peace agreements should consider, among other things, the interests of the Belarusian side.

The head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry took part in the third Ministerial Meeting of the Member Countries of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations.

Background Information: The Group of Friends is an informal association of like-minded states in the UN, created at the initiative of Venezuela in July 2021. The Group includes Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Bolivia, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Iran, Cambodia, China, North Korea, Cuba, Laos, Nicaragua, Palestine, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Syria, Equatorial Guinea and Eritrea. The goals of the Group are to oppose unilateral coercive measures, protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the participating countries in accordance with the principles of international law, promote joint initiatives aimed at protecting and strengthening the authority of the provisions of the UN Charter.

The first ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends took place on September 23, 2021 on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, USA. The second ministerial meeting was held on October 12, 2021 on the sidelines of the event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade, Serbia. As a result of the meetings, political declarations were adopted.

During the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that unilateral coercive measures have actually become an everyday weapon of the West in the arsenal of its punitive policy against recalcitrant countries. 

The head of the Foreign Ministry suggested using the potential of the Group of Friends to eradicate unilateral coercive measures from the practice of bilateral relations between UN member states. 

V.Makei also called on the Group of Friends to oppose the so-called "cancel policy" of individual states in international organizations, which is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter. 

During the event, the head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry took the initiative to hold regular meetings of the Group of Friends with the participation of the UN Secretary General in order to focus the attention of the UN leadership on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures. It is also proposed to use the mandate of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. 

As a result of the meeting of the Group of Friends, a joint political Declaration was adopted, which will be published as an official document of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

At the meeting of V.Makei with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Carlos Rafael Faría Tortosa, the parties stressed the importance of maintaining the positive momentum that has recently been given to bilateral relations. Mutual interest was confirmed in organizing a meeting of the leaders of the two countries, which should be preceded by joint work to revive sectoral interaction in key areas of cooperation. 

V.Makei invited his Venezuelan colleague to visit Belarus in the near future. 

The parties expressed satisfaction with the high level of interaction at multilateral platforms and confirmed their readiness to continue to provide mutual support.

With the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Zimbabwe, Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava, a serious potential for the implementation of joint projects in the field of energy, transport, construction and agriculture was noted. Ministers discussed the planned bilateral visits of official delegations and business missions. In this regard, the parties will take the necessary preparatory steps, including consultations at the level of Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the establishment of direct interaction between the chambers of commerce and industry.

The Belarusian side received an invitation to take part in a trade exhibition in Harare, which will be held in April 2023.

During the bilateral meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Nikola Selakovic, informed V.Makei about the development of the internal political situation in the country and the state of affairs in the Balkan region, as well as about relations with the EU.

Issues of sanctions pressure were touched upon, including bans on the use of Belarusian airspace and flights of Belarusian air carriers, as well as the supply of potash fertilizers. The parties also discussed the prospects for developing contacts at various levels. 

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