Medvedev: Opening Russian airbase in Belarus was arranged in 2009

The agreement on setting up a Russian airbase that Belarus and Russia are going to sign is the implementation of the bilateral arrangements made in 2009.

The statement was made by Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev at a press conference after a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Hrodna on September 8.

“Let me remind you the history of these documents. It began in 2009, and I am directly involved in the process. The decisions on the joint border control of the border of Russia and Belarus and the joint air defence system were prepared and signed. The agreement you are speaking about is the implementation of these arrangement. They don't contain anything special,” the press service of the Russian government quotes Medvedev as saying.

Asked about the date of preparing and signing of the agreement, the Russian PM said: “It should be convenient both for the Belarusian and our side. We just, so to say, put the document through the government of the Russian Federation following the established procedure and submitted it to the president.”

According to Medvedev, Russia has similar airbases in Kygyzstan and Armenia. “There's nothing strange. We are ready to open them in the countries that we consider to be our allies,” he said.

The agreement between Russia and Belarus on setting up a Russian airbase in Belarus in accordance with decision of the Russian government No. 945 of September 7 was submitted to president Vladimir Putin.