Klaipėdos universitetas

This article based on declassified materials of the Belorussian SSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs analyses the problems of regional development, discussed by UNESCO during the “Year of Africa” and the participation of the Republic representatives in this discussion. The approaches to solving regional problems generated by the Organization in the 1950s are stated. The paper considers the international situation and the preparations for the 11th session of the General Conference. Positions of session participants and its results are characterized in the article. The author holds to the concept of significant actuation of the Belorussian SSR in international organizations of the UN system during the years of the Khrushchev’s Thaw and the conversion of UNESCO by mid-60s into the priority in this area of foreign-policy activities of the Republic. After the signing of the UN Charter in 1945 the Republic became the subject of international relations and international law, but continued to remain the subject of the Soviet federation, which limited its sovereignty and affected its international activities.

The article builds on the author’ comparative analysis of advantages and disadvantages of regional dimensions (both towards the European Union and the CIS region) of Belarusian foreign policy in framework of multilateralism. The lack of political cooperation since 1997 didn’t affect a lot the dynamic of economic bilateral cooperation between the EU countries and Belarus (since 1995 the EU is the second trade partner for Belarus after Russian Federation). Contrary, it is growing tendency in the CIS region in certain shift from bilateralism to multilateralism in pursuing national security, political and economic interests. Multilateral regional structures, from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) between Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russian Federation (with membership of post-soviet countries) to Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) with membership of Russia and China and observer status of India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia and status of dialogue partner for Belarus, Turkey and Shri-Lanka are gaining the power as the essential modes of regional governance, though being still different in integration priorities of member states and fragile in institutions. Existing difficulties should not overshadow gains within those organizations, nor regional dynamism in general by assuming that regional approach towards multilateral cooperation are thought to be more efficient when dealing with local, subregional and regional challenges and problems.

The article is devoted to the history of tenth to 13th-century blade weapons in Belarus. The main tendencies in the evolution of blade weapons and the most important directions in military-technical contacts of the population of Belarus are defined.