Events

MINSK, 26 October (BelTA) - Belarus warns against the unnecessary and dangerous confrontation of the integration models and urges to ensure their compatibility and complementarity, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said when speaking at the international conference “Laying the foundation in the UNECE region for economic. Integration and sustainable development towards 2030”, BelTA has learned.

A message of greetings from Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko was read out during the conference. “The message stresses a very important element: an exceptional value of the mutually beneficial cooperation of the integration associations in the Eurasian continent for the global political stability and prosperity. The UN Economic Commission for Europe can play an important role in this process. It is a unique multilateral mechanism for pan-European cooperation in the field of trade, transport, energy, green economy, and innovations,” Vladimir Makei said.

He also laid out Belarus’ approaches to this issue. Belarus is proud to be a part of the UNECE region that has played a historically important role in the development of modern civilization. Today it is one of the leading industrially developed regions of the world, with an impressive economic, intellectual, scientific and technical potential, Vladimir Makei stressed.

The UNECE was created 70 years ago to promote economic development in the countries of the region. This goal remains valid today. “However, it is necessary to take into account such an important aspect as the emergence of new regional organizations and integration groups. Along with the European Union the region is home to the CIS, Eurasian Economic Union, the CEI, other regional and sub-regional associations,” Vladimir Makei said.

“Belarus urges to use the opportunities and benefits of the trans-European cooperation, harmonize the interaction processes via the idea ‘integration of integrations’. We should avoid unnecessary and dangerous confrontation of the integration models. We should ensure their compatibility and complementarity,” Vladimir Makei said.

In his view, such work should be based on joint projects in trade and standards, transport and infrastructure, energy and the green economy, investment and innovation. “It is not just lofty ideals. Today it is a prerequisite of our common economic survival and sustainable development in a complex and turbulent world,” Vladimir Makei said.