Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 24 October (BelTA) – Belarus has managed to reach nearly all UN Millennium Development Goals, UN/UNDP Resident Representative in Belarus Sanaka Samarasinha said at the meeting of Belarus’ Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei with heads of UN offices in Belarus, BelTA has learned.

“You have managed to reach almost all UN Millennium Development Goals,” Sanaka Samarasinha said. He reminded that the document declaring these goals was signed about 15 years ago. Over this time poverty has been reduced considerably around the world.

Sanaka Samarasinha noted that Belarus was ranked 53^rd in the Human Development Report. He thanked the Belarusian Foreign Minister on behalf of the UN team in Belarus. “I would like to say that we have very good and long-standing relations with the Belarusian government and civil society,” Sanaka Samarasinha said. He noted that being one of the UN founding members, Belarus keeps playing an active role in the organization.

Sanaka Samarasinha added that it is important that the UN member states managed to prevent the third world war, which was one of the goals of the organization. Belarus has also contributed to that. However, he noted that the world is still pulled apart by conflicts, including those going on near the borders of Belarus. He expressed hope that local conflicts will be resolved at the negotiating table with the help of experienced diplomats.