Russia draws Belarus into struggle against NATO enlargement

After talks in Minsk Defence Ministers of Belarus and Russia, as well as Alyaksandr Lukashenka, have stated that closer cooperation is necessary.

On April 21 Defence Minister of Russia Anatoly Serdyukov visited Belarus. He met with Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

“We should look ahead in the sphere of coproduction of defence systems, use of our science’s potential,” said the Belarusian leader during the meeting, Interfax informs.

He stated that the Belarusian side is ready to share with Russia achievements the country has.

As said by Lukashenka, “we do not have problems with defence of our motherland, in realization of agreements in the military sphere”.

The Belarusian ruler confirmed that “all the agreements in the military sphere, in the military technical sphere are to be kept to by our experts, military men and government strictly”.

Lukashenka expressed gratitude to the Defence Minister of Russia for “consideration and support to us”. “We will reciprocate,” the ruler said.

Underlining that he knows about a number of achievements of the military-industrial complex of Belarus, Anatoly Serdyukov stated: “We have rather serious plans which should be realized”.

Joining potentials of Belarus and Russia in the defence sphere is a very important factor in neutralization of modern challenges, the Defence Minister of Russia stated.

About factors and “threats” by NATO

Besides, during his visit to Belarus the Defence Minister of Russia met with his Belarusian colleague Leanid Maltsau.

“To pool potentials of Belarus and Russia in the defence sphere is a very important factor in neutralization of modern challenges and threats,” Anatoly Serdyukov said at the session of the board of Defence Ministries of Belarus and Russia.

As said by him, the present military and political situation is determined by the fact that the US government seeks global leadership. The further NATO enlargement and Washington plans to deploy AMB systems in Europe are a sign of that, BelaPAN reports.

“Cooperation in the military sphere and among the armed forces of Belarus and Russia continues to develop,” the minister said.

As said by the Defence Minister of Belarus Leanid Maltsau, at the moment work on realization of the military doctrine of the “union state”, creation and fine-tuning of united military systems continue “in high tempo”. Cooperation of Belarus and Russia in the military sphere is not just mutually beneficial for the both sides, and advantages of the relations of alleys become apparent in that, he underlined.

Leanid Maltsau reminded that military cooperation of the country is carried out both at the bilateral basis with Russia as well as in the framework of the CSTO.

“It could be stated that for today the states of this international organisation are increasing such international cooperation considerably,” Maltsau said.

As noted by ITAR-TASS, in the recent months interaction of Belarus and Russia in the military sphere has become even closer. In February this year agreements on joint safeguarding of the external border of the “union state” in the air and on creation of the integrated regional air defence system of the two countries were signed.

It is also planned that as a part of technical rearmament of the common regional air defence system most modern Russian anti-missile weapon S-400 is to be sent to Belarus.