Belarus Is the Only Country in the Region Included in Non-Western World Dialogue

Minsk today is not only an economic bridge but also a key mediator in the dialogue between the West, the East, and the Global South. This opinion was shared with First Information by Kirill Koktysh, Associate Professor of Political Theory at MGIMO.

Kirill Koktysh, Professor of Political Theory at MGIMO (Russia):

"Belarus is a very vivid example for the region. But at the same time, an exception, because Belarus is the only country in the region included in the non-Western world dialogue. Belarus is an associate member of BRICS, and a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which means it can discuss on equal terms the configuration of the non-Western pole—what it will be like and how it will grow. This is a well-deserved role that Belarus has gained by preserving and developing what remained after the Soviet Union. What it develops today includes its industrial identity and a fairly powerful digital sector, which now needs to be directed toward the needs of the national economy. In this regard, Belarus is a center, but this is not a new discovery today. It is the reality that has taken shape over the past few years and is already recognized at the international level through Belarus’s membership in highly reputable international organizations."