Priorities of the foreign policy of the Republic of Belarus

While following uniform approach to developing relations with all foreign partners without exception, Belarus, like any other state, focuses its foreign policy efforts on the most important and promising directions.

Among priority partners are the neighboring states, first of all, the Russian Federation as the member of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, as well as the participating states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Consistent pursuing the idea of integration, Belarus is an active member of unification formations on the post-Soviet area – the Customs Union / Single Economic Area, CIS and Collective Security Treaty Organization.

The European Union is objectively an important trade partner and a source of investments for Belarus.

Cooperation with countries of the South has reached a new level.

Belarus has consistently pronounced itself for normalization of relations with the United States of America.

Multilateral diplomacy and cooperation in international organizations is an important avenue of Belarus’ foreign policy.

Cooperation with the Russian Federation

The Republic of Belarus is eager to use in full the potential of strategic partnership of relations with the Russian Federation, both bilaterally and in the framework of Union State and integration structures in the post-Soviet area. The comprehensive bilateral agenda is necessitated by geographical, geopolitical, historical and other factors, mutual complementarity of economies of both states, and close cooperation among enterprises.

While developing mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia, Belarus strictly follows the principle of unconditional preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the parties, and responsible implementation of their international obligations.

CIS Area

Cooperation with partners from CIS is another priority of Belarus’ foreign policy.

The Republic of Belarus is interested in intensifying multi-track interaction with the CIS countries at bilateral level and within the framework of integration structures – Commonwealth of Independent States, Single Economic Area / Customs Union, and Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Belarus supports the development of the CIS integration potential, first of all, in the economic area. The successful cooperation in energy, transport, industry, the development of innovation technology, and the implementation of provisions of the Free Trade Area Treaty aimed at eliminating the existing barriers in mutual trade guarantee the improvement of welfare and quality of life of the CIS nations.

Customs Union and Single Economic Area of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia open up fundamentally new prospects in terms of promoting national interests of member states.

Removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers in mutual trade, liberalization of foreign trade procedures, lifting of all kinds of control at the internal borders of the common market with the population of 170 million people deliver positive results by facilitating free movement of goods and services, capital and labor force, and by attracting foreign investments.

Having created Customs Union and Single Economic Area, Belarus alongside Russia and Kazakhstan embarked on the formation of a Eurasian Economic Union on the legal basis of these integration formations.

The Republic of Belarus stands ready to contribute to strengthening the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in political, military, military-technical, information and other dimensions; developing cooperation in combating drug trafficking, illegal migration, transnational organized crime, preventing emergencies, strengthening foreign policy coordination among CSTO member states, and developing the constructive interaction between CSTO and other international and regional organizations.

Development of Relations with the European Union

Among foreign policy priorities of Belarus in Europe is increased partnership with the European Union countries in the areas of mutual interest, including trade and investments, transport, transit, cross-border and regional cooperation, liberalization of the visa regime, and environmental protection.

Belarus is a reliable partner of the EU in both maintaining socioeconomic stability in the region and developing cooperation on strategic issues of pan-European importance: strengthening military, political, energy and environmental security, combating crime, drug trafficking, illegal migration.

With the EU espousing an intransigent approach vis-à-vis Belarus on most issues, Belarus adheres squarely to the principles of equality, mutual respect and good neighborhood as the only possible basis for maintaining partnership relations and intensifying dialogue with the European Union.

Countries of the South

Belarus intends to strengthen and expand the larger «foreign policy arc» of allies and partners in Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, to elevate the cooperation with countries serving as Belarus’ foothold to the level of strategic partnership.

Diversification of trade, development of joint production with the countries of these regions are important prerequisites for the growth of the Belarusian export-oriented economy.

Main avenues of cooperation are the intensification of political and economic interaction with traditional partners (Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam, Egypt, India, Iran, China, Cuba, the UAE, Syria, Japan, South Africa), the development of a dialogue and active penetration into the markets with a substantial potential for a mutually beneficial cooperation (Angola, Australia, Indonesia, Qatar, Columbia, Cot-d’Ivoire, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Togo, the Philippines, Ecuador, Ethiopia and other countries).

The United States of America

Belarus stands for developing a constructive and equal dialogue with the US, extension of a full-scale bilateral cooperation on the topical issues of global agenda based on mutual interest, including fight against trafficking in persons, combating illicit trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substances, cybercrime and spread of child pornography on the Internet, protecting nuclear facilities, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Despite complex political relations, Belarus has made consistent efforts to normalize the cooperation across the board.

Multilateral diplomacy

Belarus contributes to strengthening the central role of the United Nations in solving global problems, supports the UN policy in promoting international peace and security, strengthening and developing international regimes of non-proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction, reducing and eliminating their arsenals, counteracting international terrorism. Belarus supports a balanced reform of the United Nations aimed at its adapting to the new realities.

Among national priorities is the promotion of the following key Belarusian initiatives in the UN: on acknowledging the diversity of paths of progressive development as a universal value, on promoting global partnership against slavery und human trafficking and implementing Global Plan of Action Against Human Trafficking initiated by Belarus and adopted by consensus at the 64th session of the UN General Assembly, on inadmissibility of using unilateral coercive measures to exert political pressure on sovereign states, on preventing the politicalization of human rights issues in the UN, and on developing the UN comprehensive energy agenda.

In line with Belarus’ interests is increasing role of the Non-Aligned Movement in international processes as an influential international actor, intensified dialogue and cooperation between the NAM and other major political and economic centers, active bilateral trade and economic relations with NAM member states.

Belarus stands for maintaining and further strengthening the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, fostering its comprehensive reform aimed at removing the existing shortcomings and imbalances and transforming the OSCE into an efficient and transparent structure operating for the benefit of all its member states.

The Republic of Belarus looks forward to a stronger partnership with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in political, economic, energy, transport, scientific and military spheres; intensification of the collaboration on the issues of regional and global security, counteracting terrorism, trafficking in drugs and human beings. Belarus is determined to participate actively in the SCO as a partner for dialogue.

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