Andrei Sannikov: It's Better to Scrub Military Exercises West-2017

How could Russia invite observers to Belarus on an ex parte basis?

Leader of the European Belarus campaign Andrei Sannikov wonders.

- I observe in the media and on social networks the way "useful idiots" and just idiots melt with other dictator's breakthrough in the western direction.

"Lukashenka, honey, you've invited NATO observers to military exercises West-2017. What an act of defiance against Russia!". Such presentation is fake news we try to fight today. Put simply, it is a hoax to preserve a light image of the dictator Lukashenka.

In fact, everything is much worse than it seems at first glance. First, the invitation of observers is an international obligation of the country that conducts military exercises. This commitment is stipulated by Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures (WA-2011).*

Second, this invitation to NATO has already been sent by Russia, and on March 13 NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg stated that the North Atlantic Bloc welcomed the invitation to the military exercises West-2017. So, Lukashenka voiced his invitation only after the Kremlin's approval.

And here the most interesting and outrageous things start. How could Russia invite observers to our territory on an ex parte basis?

How could NATO Secretary accept the invitation to a foreign country and thank Russia for it?

This disregard of our independence only reinforces the Kremlin's view that almost half of Europe is part of its "sphere of influence" and its appetite for neighbours.

After all, all that is related to the West-2017 is a growing concern, and instead of fancy dancing for the invitation to the West, it would be better to scrub these exercises. Belarusians do not need them, Andrei Sannikov stated.

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*The Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures (WA-2011) was adopted at the Special Meeting the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation on 30 November 2011 (FSC). WA-2011 develops and supplements the confidence-building measures of the Document of the Stockholm Conference of 1986, the Vienna Documents of 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1999. It is politically binding, not subject to ratification. It came into force on 1 December 2016.

The objective of the WA is to implement an agreed set of mutually reinforcing confidence-and security-building measures (CBMs) to enhance stability and reduce the threat of military conflict in the OSCE region.

According to the WA, participating States will annually exchange information on their military forces concerning the military organization, manpower and major weapon and equipment systems, on defence planning and military budgets. The document provides for a mechanism for consultations and cooperation in connection with unconventional military activities and for serious incidents of a military nature.

The participating States shall notify each other on the OSCE communications network of certain types of military activities, invite observers, inspect the area and visit the military units to assess the accuracy of the information provided.