Participation in 3rd summit Voice of the Global South

Speech by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko during the 3rd summit Voice of the Global South

Dear Mr. Modi!

Dear friends!

I thank you for the invitation to make a speech during the third summit Voice of the Global South, which is becoming one of the largest forums for discussing matters of the modern world order and the future of humanity.

We are united by common goals and approaches to dealing with world problems. Those are the establishment of a multipolar world order, the creation of a system of indivisible security, efforts to ensure sustainable development, and the enhancement of equitable cooperation. And most importantly the raising of living standards of our nations.

The age of Western supremacy is becoming a thing of the past. The center of global progress, economic gravitation, and the making of political decisions for that matter is shifting to the South and the East. It requires us to more actively demonstrate leadership in international affairs. The voice of the Global South should sound in full force and should match its gigantic potential.

Opponents feel this growing might and are trying to counteract it.

The prime minister of India is absolutely right in saying that "the majority of global problems have not been created by the Global South but they have a greater effect on us".

Belarus knows it well from its own experience. For a number of years we've lived under illegal, unfair, barbaric sanctions, which not only affect our country but have a disastrous effect on your nations.

Thus, restrictions on the export of Belarusian mineral fertilizers have aggravated the problems of food shortage and famine in the poorest countries.

The West still provokes conflicts that lead to many millions of refugees and then cynically accuses the Global South and Belarus of the migration crisis. However, the real reason is the extraction of resources and the enforcement of a system of inequitable exchange upon developing countries.

Today many regions are being shaken by wars and conflicts. The arms race is gaining unprecedented pace to accommodate transnational corporations. But without lasting peace and the resolution of global contradictions any development is impossible.

This is why Belarus has repeatedly put forward peace initiatives and has undertaken to host negotiations on resolving conflicts. We will continue this work unswervingly.

Belarus is intent on making a contribution to the reinforcement of the Global Majority by actively participating in uniting international structures: the United Nations Organization, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as well as BRICS, which partners we intend to become in the near future.

Dear friends!

The world colonialism system collapsed more than half a century ago but it did not bring about a real liberation of countries of the so-called Third World. Colonial countries. Economic and technological dependence on former metropolitan countries in many respects remains in place.

This is why the key frontline of our work today is economy as the foundation of any sovereignty. And it is in the economic sphere that we have something to offer to countries of the Global South.

Since the USSR times we have actively cooperated with states of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. We constantly provide humanitarian aid to countries in need but much broader opportunities are available.

Belarus is one of the world leaders in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite outside pressure our country demonstrates a high degree of stability and continues progressive development.

As a republic with a well-developed manufacturing sector, agriculture, science, and education system we are ready to offer food, industrial goods, technologies, including digital ones, cutting-edge practices in healthcare, including telemedicine, personnel training services and services in other spheres to the Global South.

We already have experience of effective facilitation of progress in a number of Global South countries, their industrialization, assistance with increasing the quality of life and living standards of the population.

As an example we can mention Zimbabwe, which successfully ensures food security, develops the system for providing medical aid and for protecting motherhood and childhood with our aid.

We may be far from you geographically but we are always ready to stand by to accomplish the most pressing tasks.

I am convinced that together we are capable of providing a decent answer to any challenges of today.

As great Mahatma Gandhi said: "If you want the world to change, be the change." I am convinced that together we will be able to change the world and that the voice of the Global Majority is the voice of our common future.

Thank you for your attention.

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