English

Belarus has to achieve more to draw closer to rich countries, Foreign Minister Makey says

 

Belarus has already "achieved much" but will have to achieve even more to draw closer to the group of rich countries, Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makey said at the closing ceremony for a regional conference in Minsk on May 17.

The conference focused on prospects for the sustainable development of middle-income countries in the CIS, Eastern and Southern Europe.

According to Mr. Makey, participants discussed ways for governments to raise households' living standards more efficiently. "Sustainable development is a harmonious, irreversible development incorporating an economic growth that benefits all members of society and does not cause harm to the environment at the same time. Many countries pursue numbers, manufacturing growth, forgetting about social and environmental issues," he said.

The minister expressed concern about the widening gap between rich and poor countries, and said that the international community was thinking about ensuring sustainable development amid the devastating effects of the recent financial crisis.

"The conference was an excellent opportunity for discussions and experience exchange on what is done at the national level, on what roles international organizations have in securing the sustainable development of our region and the entire world in general," Mr. Makey said.

Organized by the Belarusian foreign ministry in cooperation with the UN Office in Belarus and with support from the CIS Secretariat, the conference took place in Minsk as Belarus is at the center of the region, Mr. Makey stressed.

Cihan Sultanoglu, director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States at the United Nations Development Program, said that middle-income countries were the main drivers of global economic growth. //BelaPAN