Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the announcement during his visit to Belarus earlier this week, while speaking with Belarus’s Council of the Republic, the territorial representation of the National Assembly. “The overwhelming majority of the Group of Ten voted to suspend the accession of new members, as the association needs time to process the new arrivals that have doubled its membership. In parallel, a category of partner countries is being formed as a stepping stone to full membership. We will certainly promote our Belarusian friends as well as a number of other like-minded allies,” said Lavrov.