FM: Belarus eager to team up with NAM countries to build multipolar world order

Belarus, together with its partners in the Non-Aligned Movement, needs to be at the forefront of efforts to shape a multipolar world order, promote common sense and justice in the world, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Aleinik said in an interview with BelTA.

"If the powers that be listened more to the voice of small and medium-sized states, then we probably would not have such a host of problems today," Sergei Aleinik said. "We think that time has come for Belarus, together with its partners in the Non-Aligned Movement, to pitch in and be at the forefront of the fight for multipolar world order, common sense and justice in the world."

During the NAM Ministerial Meeting held in Baku in early July, Belarus traditionally put forward a number of initiatives that "correspond to the spirit of the organization and the spirit of the times and that are aimed at ensuring a more harmonious development of international relations and finding ways to solve global challenges and problems that humanity is facing today,” Sergei Aleinik noted.

"Almost all of our initiatives found universal support among the NAM member countries," Sergei Aleinik said.

For example, at the initiative of Belarus and a number of other countries, the consolidated approaches of the NAM member countries against unilateral coercive measures and sanctions were reflected in the final declaration. "The unacceptability of the use of such tools in international politics was emphasized," the minister said. “Separately, we highlighted the topic of food security, which today is a very important matter for the Global South. Unilateral measures and sanctions have a direct impact on food security in many countries and regions. Our partners are in solidarity with this."

The provision on the need to depoliticize sport and eradicate discrimination on the basis of nationality in international sports was also included in the final declaration at the initiative of Belarus. "This proposal [by Belarus] was supported by all NAM member countries without exception. This is quite an impressive signal for the International Olympic Committee, and I hope it will heed it. This part of the Baku Declaration confirms the support of the majority of the international community for this initiative," the minister said.

Among the initiatives promoted by Belarus, the minister also named the provisions on sustainable development, combating human trafficking, and preventing the creation of new types of weapons of mass destruction.

"Within the framework of NAM, Belarus actively upholds the primacy of international law and seeks to promote not only its national interests, but also actively participates in the development of collective decisions on all topical issues on the global agenda. We are working to strengthen the capacity and role of NAM in the current difficult geopolitical environment. Such a position garners respect among the NAM member countries and enhances the role of Belarus and its authority in the organization. We plan to use the NAM platform to promote our new initiatives to establish a dialogue in the spirit of San Francisco and to develop a 21st century diversity charter. These are the documents that we still have to work on and that will lay a good foundation for the formation of a just multipolar world order. They will reflect the necessary changes that need to be made to the modern world order in order for it to become more just and democratic," Sergei Aleinik summed up.