Events

MINSK, 9 July (BelTA) - Belarusian MPs support the resolution of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism, chairman of the standing commission for international affairs at the House of Representatives Valery Voronetsky said at a meeting of the OSCE PA General Committee on Political Affairs and Security in Berlin, BelTA learned from the press service of the House of Representatives.

Valery Voronetsky stressed that the fight against terrorism will be really effective when an integrated approach is used to all transnational security threats which is aimed primarily at identifying and addressing their root causes. “In this context, we welcome the vigorous activity of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism which was set up in Minsk last year and which is headed by Makis Voridis. We hope that its work will strengthen the PA's contribution to to the fight against terrorism that is collecting more and more victims around the world. We support the important resolution promoted by Makis Voridis on the prevention and suppression of terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism. The head of the Belarusian delegation, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Boleslav Pirshtuk was among its co-authors,” the MP said.

When responding to modern challenges and threats to security there is a need to take into account the rapid development of new technologies that are directly related to the internet, the MP added. The rate of change in the digital sphere and related challenges require well-coordinated efforts on the part of all stakeholders, he said. “In this regard, we welcome the OSCE efforts to reduce the risks of conflict as a result of the use of ICT. The MPs can make a significant contribution to this. Cybersecurity and ICT issues were prominently featured at the 26th annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Minsk. We hope that the resolutions adopted by the relevant committees then will enhance the cooperation between the states parties in the area of information and communication technologies,” Valery Voronetsky said.

BelTA reported earlier that a delegation of the Belarusian parliament led by Boleslav Pirshtuk is taking part in the annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Berlin. The theme of this year’s annual session is “Implementing OSCE commitments: The role of parliaments.” The session is focused on the effective legislative measures the member states are expected to take in order to bolster international cooperation and honor commitments with regard to supporting peace and security in the OSCE region. The session will end on 11 July with the election of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly functionaries and the adoption of the Berlin declaration. The document will include three resolutions of the general committees and a number of supplementary resolutions.