MINSK, 23 January (BelTA) – Belarus took part in the first session of the intergovernmental negotiations on the Post-2015 development agenda in New York to present the guidelines it would use in the process of negotiations on the new Post-2015 agenda, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus.

Speaking at the UN session, Deputy Foreign Minister Valentin Rybakov outlined the need to take into account the interests and potential of the middle-income countries, the importance of the UN's full-frontal approach to energy issues, the necessity of setting up a mechanism to provide access to progressive technology for the parties concerned. The Belarusian official also reminded the participants of the session Belarus' proposal to connect sustainable development to the climate change issue through, for example, encouraging the countries to reduce hazardous emissions without any impact on their development.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Belarus will continue its participation in the sessions of the intergovernmental negotiations on the preparation for the UN summit.

While in New York, Valentin Rybakov met with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Wu Hongbo. The Belarusian diplomat informed the UN official on Belarus' priorities in the process of preparation for the UN summit in September 2015.

Valentin Rybakov informed the Under-Secretary-General on Belarus' intention to host a regional conference on inclusive and sustainable industrial development in middle-income countries in cooperation with UNIDO in April 2015. Valentin Rybakov invited the UN representatives to take an active part in the preparation and organization of the event.