"Belarus Is Ready for Global Security Dialogue". Interview with Sergei Rachkov

– Mr Rachkov, at the meeting of the CSTO PA Standing Commission on Political Affairs and International Cooperation you said that Belarus is ready for a global security dialogue. Did you mean just the CSTO framework?

– I am certainly talking about a global dialogue, a San Francisco-format conference. Today, of course, the world is very, very dangerous, the international relations are very complicated. A multi-polar world order is forming. Not all countries, especially in the West, like it. But these processes are objectively happening. Today, of course, Eurasia can become such a centre of power, a centre of social and economic development. Such major countries as the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China are located here... Belarus very actively supports these processes. We believe that it is high time to stop trying to organize our lives according to the rules written by western countries. It is necessary to live by the United Nations Charter, by international law. And all countries should be allowed to choose their own way of development. The President of the Republic of Belarus spoke about this back in 2005 at the UN General Assembly anniversary session. And at that time the Republic of Belarus put forward an initiative to promote the diversity of development paths. And today we know how far-seeing Aleksandr Lukashenko was. Today many countries would like to determine their own fate. I think that our organization, the CSTO, plays and should play an active role in strengthening international and regional security.

– What role do you see the parliamentary dimension playing?

– The parliamentary dimension is the political dimension. It is a tool that should help conduct dialogue and foster negotiations. During Belarus’ presidency in the CSTO we seek to strengthen the political component of our Organization, and demonstrate that the tools of negotiations, consultations and meetings have not become obsolete yet and on the contrary, they should be in active demand.

– Mr Rachkov, how do you assess the chances for an effective dialogue with the West? Is Belarus ready for such a dialogue, and is the West ready for it?

– You know, the West is also diverse. It has various political trends and party structures that have certain aims and tasks of their own. Therefore, one cannot say that today the West is very consolidated. On the contrary, we see how complicated the processes are in many Western countries, beginning with the United States and ending with Europe. It is France, Germany, even Great Britain, which is not a member of the European Union, but in a way is trying to introduce many European initiatives, primarily the non-constructive ones, I would say. Certainly, such countries as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia try to develop their foreign policy under the British leadership. The deputies representing these countries in the European Parliament are actively forcing an anti-Belarusian and anti-Russian agenda in this parliamentary body. They constantly release resolutions that are not in line with reality and are beyond the limits of, say, common sense and propriety. They are also sometimes beyond the bounds of international law. The Republic of Belarus in particular firmly rejects all these resolutions. We believe that they are unjustified and unlawful and recommend our Western parliamentarian colleagues to look at themselves, at their countries, at the needs of their constituents who take to the streets demanding solutions to social, economic and domestic issues, to pay attention to such phenomena as paedophilia and drug addiction that actively proliferate in these countries and to the problems of immigrants who face inhumane treatment, in particular, in Poland... I think today we begin to consolidate even more. I mean the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, our CSTO and Eurasian Economic Union Member States. Each country, of course, has its own national interests, and they are usually a priority, but nevertheless these inter-state associations make it possible to find common ground and move forward together.