Lukashenko: Belarus’ place is among nations committed to peace and development

The place of Belarus is among nations committed to peace and development, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he addressed the 7th Belarusian People's Congress in Minsk on 24 April, BelTA has learned.

The head of state noted the growing weight of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization which Belarus is expected to join as a full member in the summer. To get an idea of the prospects of this organization, it is enough to look at the space that the participating states and observers occupy on the world map.

"Given such a scale we do not have to be a military bloc like NATO to be a deterrent of any aggression. It's not about scale after all. The SCO is about an equal dialogue. All those who are tired of American hegemony, including the countries of Latin America, the Global South, look at this organization with respect. BRICS is a different geography and a different scale of influence on the global agenda. There is no doubt that the SCO and BRICS are the world's progressive majority. They present a challenge to the ideology of global unification. The place of Belarus is exactly there, next to the nations representing different cultures but committed to peace and development," the president said.