Belarus’s support for India’s accession to the Security Council highlights India’s strong backing from Russia. In a recent statement by the foreign minister of Belarus, S. Aleinik said, “We support the accession of India to the Security Council.” This support aligns with the nation’s bilateral ties with India. As the Embassy of India in Minsk reported, “India was one of the first countries to recognize Belarus as an independent nation in 1991. The two nations have signed multiple agreements and MOUs on various subjects.”
The foreign minister is visiting India for two days and met his Indian counterpart, Dr S Jaishankar. Discussions were held in the fields of defence and other areas of mutual concern, such as politics, trade, and economic dimensions. The foreign minister of Belarus personally thanked his Indian counterpart for supporting the Belarusian state in gaining membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS+. Regional issues and diplomatic cooperation have been discussed in NAM as well as the United Nations (UN).
The importance of Belarus making this statement highlights a few important aspects. Firstly, the current administration is close to the Russian Federation, especially around the issue of Ukraine, and most positions taken by Belarus have the mentorship of the Russian Federation, as well as the factor of maintaining its ties with the Kremlin. Not to mention that the Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko, enjoys steady support from the President of the Russian Federation and needs his support more than what was required earlier.
When the state of Belarus supports India’s permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council, it not only plays well for the outreach India is making in the eastern part of Europe but also holds the correct strategy for Russia’s decision-making in its diplomacy. The Russian position remains of the same sentiment as far as the membership of India is concerned. Therefore, the closest ally supporting Indian membership is an indirect projection of Russia’s support only to the Indian Republic.
What’s important is that only one nation is opposed to India’s ascension: China. China has close ties with Russia, and even Belarus looks favourably to them. But nowhere is the Chinese strategy reflected in Belarus and its support for India. Even the Russian position doesn’t change regarding what the Chinese think about India. Moreover, Russia’s support for India remains despite any sort of overtures made to the US and the West. There is little to no effect on their support for membership as well. There is no change in the Russian attitude here, and more so, their allies have started picking up on either their indications or the change of sentiment around the position of India as an emerging power. This goes out of the influence of China’s diplomatic strategy of trying to isolate India in any way whatsoever.
In conclusion, there’s only one way to recognize that international relations are not just made on new projections of any state and its endeavour, but it remains important that tried and tested relationships with old allies gel with this projection as well. It is rare to find a country that enjoys the maximum attention of the US and the Russian Federation, and the recent news about India’s involvement in deterring nuclear attacks from Russia into Ukraine is a testament to its rising stature. So it is no surprise that the foreign minister of Belarus, who concludes his trip today, expressed support for India’s permanent membership in the UNSC. It is nothing but an extension of Russia’s diplomatic engagement with these nations that has yielded such dividends through the former Soviet republics.
(Anhad Jakhmola is a postgraduate scholar in international relations. He has his undergraduate degree in history and is pursuing his Ph.D. in Defence and Strategic Studies. He is a columnist for many portals and is a keen public speaker in debates and discussions. Views expressed are author’s own)
Balaji Subramanian 
Palak Dogra 
Sindhuri Sai