Interview of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Martynov to the “BelTA” Information Agency

The Non-Aligned Movement should become an active player

The Belarusian delegation will take part in the 14th Conference of the Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement member states in Havana. The NAM Summit will be in the spotlight of the international life. It will focus on further consolidation, increasing the Movement role and weight in the world. Belarus as an active NAM participant intends to present its vision of the ways to give a fresh impetus to the Movement. The NAM role and place in the world, and Belarus' benefits from participation in the Movement were commented upon by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Martynov in his interview to the “BelTA” Information Agency.

- Mr. Martynov, the NAM creation had an impact on the after-war international relations system. What are the main ideas put forward by the Movement?

- Establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement was a result of the confrontation of the two military-political blocks, which stood on irreconcilable ideological positions. The NAM was created as an alternative to the schemes proposed by the two confronting systems. The Movement made a significant contribution to formation of the political realities of the second half of the 20th century. It was the NAM foundation that made the United Nations engage more closely in development issues. The Movement is also associated with the period of de-colonization and combating apartheid.

The break-up of the bipolar world resulted in formation of the unipolar system, with one center of power keen on largely influencing the world events. In this situation the NAM is set to contribute to transition to a multipolar world, for the unipolar system has failed to secure stability and protection of interests of other members of international community.

The NAM goal to facilitate development is obviously still in force, for the problem of poverty and diseases in least developed and developing states has not been overcome yet.

- Belarus has been a full-fledged member of the Non-Aligned Movement since 1998. What are the real benefits of Belarus' participation in this international forum, which basically does not take binding decisions?

- The NAM is a mechanism for realization of foreign policy goals. This is more than enough. The Movement currently unites 116 member states — the majority of the world community. Thus, Belarus as a NAM member state has an opportunity to rely on this majority, which provides us with additional levers for promoting Belarusian interest, which are identical with those of the NAM.

For example, our colleagues and friends in the Movement supported us in successful blocking anti-Belarusian draft resolutions in the UN, which did not meet our interests.

Secondly, we could rely on the NAM support in putting forward important resolutions, including the one on the Chernobyl aftermath in connection with the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.

Moreover, jointly with our friends in the NAM we have resolutions passed in the UN on prevention of development of new types of weapons of mass destructions (Belarus has traditionally been an advocate of this theme on the international arena), and documents on the necessity for the United Nations to assist countries with economies in transition.

Our intensive contacts with NAM member states provide us with an opportunity to develop tight and successful mutual co-operation in economic, trade, scientific and technical, and other spheres. Many important Movement member states are among our serious trading partners. While in the NAM, we have boosted our mutual trade turnover and economic co-operation as a whole.

Hence, Belarus' benefits from participation in the NAM are obvious, and we are aware of them on a daily basis.

- Which proposals will the Belarusian delegation put forward at the Havana Summit?

- It will be more appropriate to speak about our concrete proposals after the Summit. At the same time, they will be definitely based on our conceptual approach to the Movement and its role, which was set out by the President of Belarus at his meeting with Belarusian ambassadors in August in Minsk.

We stem from the following: NAM should become one of the most important engines of departure from the unipolar world to a multipolar one. It should be an active player.

Secondly, realization of this goal requires real unification of the Movement.

- Does the Belarusian side have its own vision of ways of uniting the NAM member states?

- I do not think any artificial schemes and mechanisms imposed through adoption of certain documents will be possible and viable. The Movement unity problem is real. This is a body consisting of 116 states with different interests, located in different geographical zones, economic and military-political conditions. It is naturally difficult to reconcile the interests of all NAM participants. However, we believe it to be both necessary and possible to achieve. There is no other way. And we see ever more countries realize that.

Everybody understands: in comparison with the bipolar system confrontation, the unipolar world has not brought anything positive to states, except of superpowers and their allies. In the old times, countries, which did not join any blocks, had at least three options: they could join one block, the other block, or stay on a third way. Today only one model is being imposed on almost everybody. They want to treat all alike. But this is a one-way treatment.

Obviously nobody likes it. Everybody comprehends the necessity to get rid of this situation. But how? Only with efforts joined.

Hence, we proceed from the following: the political will of the NAM participants is the Movement main foundation and an opportunity to get united. We believe in mobilization of this will.

- Which of the NAM member states has Belarus established the tightest contacts with? Are there any bilateral talks scheduled within the Havana Summit?

- We strive for establishing tight and goodwill relations with all NAM participants without exception, and we have done it well.

Obviously there are countries, with which we have developed a more intensive political, diplomatic, and economic exchange. Among them are states, which we have maintained high level contacts with — India, South Africa, Venezuela, Cuba, Syria, Algeria. With others we plan to meet at the Havana Summit.

Marta Astreiko