A staff member from the Ministry of Forestry of Belarus presents an overview of the country's forestry sector in Minsk, Belarus, on July 23, 2025. Belarus has launched the first project under the Global Development Initiative (GDI) on Wednesday here. The project "Safeguarding Forests of Belarus: A Comprehensive Fire Preparedness Initiative for Community-Based Fire Prevention and Response" is funded by China's Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDF). (Photo by Henadz Zhinkov/Xinhua)
MINSK, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Belarus has launched the first project under the Global Development Initiative (GDI) on Wednesday here.
The project "Safeguarding Forests of Belarus: A Comprehensive Fire Preparedness Initiative for Community-Based Fire Prevention and Response" is funded by China's Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDF). The total financial assistance amounts to 2 million U.S. dollars and is implemented jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Forestry of Belarus.
The project involves equipping Belarusian forestry enterprises and fire departments with the latest firefighting equipment and technology, enhancing the effectiveness of early warning and rapid response to forest fires, and reducing the threat of natural disasters to natural resources, as well as to citizens' lives and property.
During the ceremonial event, Belarusian Forestry Minister Aleksandr Kulik expressed sincere gratitude to the government of China and the UNDP for their support and cooperation.
Global climate change poses serious challenges to protecting forests from fires, and for Belarus, where forests cover more than 40 percent of the country's territory, this issue is of particular importance, the minister said, adding that the project will strengthen the material and technical base of fire prevention.
Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Zhang Wenchuan said that since its establishment in 2015, the GDF has significantly improved people's well-being, strengthened the capacities of recipient countries, and significantly contributed to implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The ambassador believed that this project will become a new model of cooperation between China and Belarus in jointly implementing the GDI, giving new impetus to the friendship between the two countries and practical collaboration in various fields.
Liu Renfei, the UNDP's resident representative in Belarus, said the UNDP welcomes China's GDI as a contribution to accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by developing countries.
The initiative reflects a commitment to multilateral cooperation under the UN framework and South-South cooperation, while the GDF turns these commitments into tangible results by helping developing countries implement projects on the ground, Liu said.
The UNDP cooperates with all member states, including China, to align with international development cooperation principles that strengthen multilateral frameworks and accelerate SDG implementation, Liu said.
Belarusian Forestry Minister Aleksandr Kulik (1st L), Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Belarus Liu Renfei (2nd L), and Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Zhang Wenchuan show a puzzle symbolizing the launch of the project "Safeguarding Forests of Belarus" in Minsk, Belarus, on July 23, 2025. Belarus has launched the first project under the Global Development Initiative (GDI) on Wednesday here. The project "Safeguarding Forests of Belarus: A Comprehensive Fire Preparedness Initiative for Community-Based Fire Prevention and Response" is funded by China's Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDF). (Photo by Henadz Zhinkov/Xinhua)
Belarusian Forestry Minister Aleksandr Kulik speaks at the launching ceremony of the project "Safeguarding Forests of Belarus" in Minsk, Belarus, on July 23, 2025. Belarus has launched the first project under the Global Development Initiative (GDI) on Wednesday here. The project "Safeguarding Forests of Belarus: A Comprehensive Fire Preparedness Initiative for Community-Based Fire Prevention and Response" is funded by China's Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDF). (Photo by Henadz Zhinkov/Xinhua)
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