MINSK, 8 February (BelTA) - Belarus, like no one else, understands the harmfulness of the logic of confrontation, Belarus' Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said in an interview to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, BelTA has learned.
“Being located on the so-called geopolitical fault line, Belarus, like no one else, understands the ills of the logic of confrontation which leads to a spiral of tension and confrontation on the European continent. To stop this dangerous trend and restore at least a minimum level of trust, we need an open, transparent and mutually respectful dialogue of all the stakeholders, including not only diplomats but also military experts,” Vladimir Makei said.
He added that it was the reason why the Belarusian head of state suggested a broad discussion on the ways to overcome the existing contradictions in relations between the countries on the common Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian space at the meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Minsk last year.
When asked about the NATO activities, the Belarusian minister said: “We are well aware of the military activities of the NATO member countries, including near the borders of Belarus and we assess it objectively. Surely, this activity does not contribute to the strengthening of security and the reduction of tensions in the region.”
“We take this into account in the military planning and combat training of our armed forces both at the national level and within the framework of the Union State. This is done on the basis of the most scrupulous and thorough assessment. The regional military grouping of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia is capable of providing an adequate response to challenges and potential threats to the security of the two countries. The Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2017 proved this,” said Vladimir Makei.
