SKOPJE, December 1. /TASS/. All Belarus’ actions in international security, including the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons, were a forced response to a Western aggression, says Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Ambrazevich.
"All our actions, including the suspension of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) [regarding Poland and Czechia], and the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons, are forced and made in response," he said during the meeting of OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers in Skopje.
According to Ambrazevich, Belarus is unable to perceive economic sanctions that affected 70% of national export, as well as "almost complete shutdown of borders in the west and in the north, the shutdown of air and railway service" as anything but aggression.
"Unfortunately, the overall dynamic of relations in European security, especially after the dissolution of the USSR, has been defined for years by actors ‘west of Vienna,’ as they say in the OSCE. Unfortunately, they acted exclusively in their own unilateral interests, ignoring concerns of others. It is they who bear full responsibility for the current security crisis," the diplomat said.
Meanwhile, he stated that "Belarus participates in the OSCE not to accuse anyone."
"We do it with only one goal in mind - to guarantee our national security. We are not against someone, we are together with everyone," the diplomat said.
"This is why we, just like before, call on all interested sides for dialogue and negotiations. The Belarusian side is certain that we can develop principles of our peaceful coexistence, not only in Europe, but in Eurasia. It becomes obvious for everyone that European security is inseparable from Eurasian in the 21th century. These principles must restore the indivisibility of security, to take concerns of all sides without exceptions, and, in the end, to guarantee security of all and everyone. Belarus offers everyone interested to immediately begin working on a document in the spirit of Helsinki and in the spirit of San Francisco. In near future, we will share elements of such documents with everyone," Ambrazevich said, ending his speech.