Belarus views the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a forward-looking platform for fostering global stability, equitable economic cooperation, and cultural exchange, said the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs Maksim Ryzhenkov.
Ryzhenkov made the remarks ahead of this year's SCO Summit to be held in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1.
"We actually see the SCO as a forward-looking organization that brings together like-minded partners. Today it consists of 10 countries, including Belarus, and about 20 more partners and observers who share the same vision of how the world should develop. First and foremost, it's about ensuring stability and security -- that's a major focus of our work within the organization. Second, it's about building a fair model of economic and financial cooperation. And of course, it's about developing relations in the humanitarian and cultural spheres," said Ryzhenkov.
Ryzhenkov said that the cooperation within the SCO framework is not aimed against anyone, but a response to weakening global institutions.
"In this sense, I want to stress: Our cooperation within the SCO is not aimed against anyone. In fact, it's our forced response to the erosion of many international cooperation mechanisms that were developed long ago -- during and after the Cold War -- but which today no longer work effectively in the OSCE, the UN, or other regional and universal organizations, for a variety of reasons. Mainly because certain countries -- let's call them the 'collective West' -- are trying to use these organizations for their own political purposes," said Ryzhenkov.
Belarus formally joined the SCO, becoming its 10th member at last year's Astana Summit. According to the foreign minister, the nation was drawn to the SCO by its core values -- collectively known as the "Shanghai Spirit" -- which champion mutual respect, cultural diversity, and dialogue-based cooperation.
"What we all are interested in is a normal development, development based on what is known as the Shanghai Spirit: respecting one another, respecting multiculturalism, solving issues through dialogue, coming up with fresh, creative ideas that work for everyone, rather than imposing models of development on others. That's what makes the SCO attractive for Belarus," said Ryzhenkov.
The minister also voiced support for China's vision of a community of a shared future for humanity.
"Today, China is a leading economy in the world, with a clear drive to take a leadership role in addressing global issues in the interests of all humanity. That's where the Chinese initiative comes in -- the idea of a community of shared future. And it doesn't mean that everyone in the world has to become like the Chinese or adopt China's model of governance. It means a community of shared future that, in its diversity, belongs to every country supporting these ideas, forming together a new order -- economic, political, military, or others," said Ryzhenkov.
Belarus sees SCO as platform for stability, fair cooperation: Belarusian FM
