Regional security architecture in Europe, which was formed with great difficulty for decades and was a reflection of the memory of the horrors of the great war in Europe, is collapsing before our eyes. This was stated by Chairman of the Standing Committee of the House of Representatives on Foreign Affairs, head of the Belarusian delegation to the OSCE PA Andrei Savinykh during a speech at a meeting of the OSCE PA General Committee on Political Affairs and Security, held in Vienna.
- Today we have to state that the conventional arms control regime in Europe is a thing of the past. The confidence-building mechanisms have been paralyzed and negotiation formats are not working. The shameful practice of psychological manipulations, hysterical and pompous, as well as slanderous statements, which we see from the collective West, leads only to the deepening of dividing lines," the MP emphasized.
According to him, these vicious practices are based on the thoughtless and destructive promotion of NATO-centric security for selected countries, the false belief in the ability to ensure their own security to the detriment of other neighboring countries, the blind confidence that in the logic of a zero-sum game, any political goals can be achieved through pressure, sanctions and disinformation:
- I assure you, this is not the case! Very soon everyone here will have to be convinced of the futility and destructiveness of this course. It is a matter of great regret to us that ordinary citizens in Western countries are being held hostage to the irresponsible policies of their political elites. Today these people are misinformed and disempowered. But, watching the transformation of political life in the EU and the US, I am sure that the voice of reason and common sense will triumph.
Then, Andrei Savinykh expressed confidence, all political forces will have to sit down at the negotiating table and recreate security mechanisms in Europe on transparent, fair and equal principles.
- Belarus' foreign policy is based on good-neighborliness, the UN Charter and the principles of international law. We are ready for such negotiations and such a development of events today. But we have not yet seen such readiness from our Western neighbors. But I want to express confidence - this is the only possible way, no matter how much someone wants to keep their unfair privileges by deception," said the parliamentarian.
