HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
Copyright 2002 British Broadcasting Corporation BBC Monitoring Kiev Unit Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring July 10, 2002, Wednesday LENGTH: 397 words HEADLINE: Belarusian president calls for "new approach" to relations with NATO SOURCE: Belapan news agency, Minsk, in Belarusian 1222 gmt 10 Jul 02 BODY: Text of report by Belarusian news agency Belapan Minsk, 10 July: A routine meting of the Belarusian Security Council, chaired by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka today, focused on relations between Belarus and NATO and the country's participation in the development of a new international security architecture. Lukashenka said that Belarus was conducting a multidirectional policy and was consistent in its relations with the North Atlantic alliance, the presidential press service reported. He recalled that the republic had declared itself a zone of peace and had also initiated proposals on limiting arms proliferation and declaring Europe a nuclear-free zone. Since the 1990s, Belarus has been implementing individual programmes of cooperation with NATO in the areas of its interest. Lukashenka stressed that Belarus was still resolutely campaigning against the expansion of any military bloc and against the emergence of new dividing lines, believing that this would not provide a guarantee of global security. At the same time, he said, Belarus could not but consider new realities on the world arena: the expansion of the alliance, which is taking place contrary to the agreements on its expansion 10 years ago; the stance of Russia, Ukraine and other neighbouring countries with regard to NATO; and the threat of international terrorism, which has caused the stepping up of military and political cooperation. In connection with this, Lukashenka does not rule out that certain areas of Belarusian foreign policy could be adjusted. He said that it was important to assess the country's place and role in the current climate of political integration and to establish new approaches to cooperation with NATO. However, there is no talk about a fundamentally new position, Lukashenka underscored. Belarus remains adherent to the multidirectional approach in its foreign policy and is consistently striving for the expansion and strengthening of multilateral international links, including those with NATO military and political institutions in the areas facilitating the enhancement of national security. "We cannot make a U-turn in our policy," Lukashenka said. "One must be sincere in politics, so we must thoroughly work out our position and declare it sincerely. Everything must be sincere and decent, including relations with NATO." LOAD-DATE: July 10, 2002 --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
