Events

MINSK, 22 September (BelTA) – On the sidelines of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, Belarus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei chaired the meeting of the member states of the Central European Initiative (CEI), BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"In his statement, Vladimir Makei emphasized the need for deeper and more comprehensive regional cooperation on the matters of mutual interest. During the event, ministers of foreign affairs discussed the results of the CEI activities for this year and highlighted the priorities for the coming period," the press service said.

Vladimir Makei also co-chaired the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Like-Minded Group of Countries Supporters of Middle-Income Countries. The event was conducted by the initiative of the Foreign Ministers of Belarus and Costa Rica. Attending the meeting were Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Cihan Sultanoglu, Assistant Secretary-General, Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS.

The partied adopted the ministerial declaration which sets the goals and objectives of the like-minded group, and a roadmap containing an action plan to achieve the main task for the coming period – to devise and adopt a long-term UN strategy to support the sustainable development of middle-income countries.

The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that according to the World Bank classification, the category of middle-income countries (MICs) includes 109 states. MICs account for more than a third of the global GDP and a quarter of world’s exports and imports. Moreover, 73% of the world’s poor population lives in these countries.

Belarus falls into the top sub-category of upper-middle-income countries. Belarus, Costa Rica and several other states suggested establishing a separate group of like-minded supporters of the interests of this category of countries at the UN headquarters in 2016.