MINSK, 5 September (BelTA) – Neighboring countries are demonstrating excessive tensions over the forthcoming Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2017. State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Stanislav Zas made the relevant statement after the Belarusian head of state held a government conference with top officials of the State Secretariat of the Security Council, law enforcement agencies, and national security agencies on 5 September, BelTA has learned.
Stanislav Zas said: “Unfortunately, we observe and note that neighboring countries are taking measures, which we believe are inadequate to the situation. Excessive tensions emerge. We don't feel threatened due to the situation. We just state the facts. I think the army exercise will proceed as usual and will be a success. All the speculations and concoctions will be history.”
In turn, Belarusian Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov said that preparations for the exercise are in the final phase. “Command units and troops are ready for their missions. The necessary units have been deployed in the areas where they will fulfill combat training exercises. These areas are six army exercise areas and two regular sectors of terrain,” noted the official. “We just have to finish redeploying Air Force units, the Russian component — 27 aircraft. We have to deploy our Air Force units to the prepared airfields and complete the mobilization of territorial defense units in Glubokoye District. The district's HQ and an infantry battalion will be mobilized there. All the other actions have been taken already.”
According to Andrei Ravkov, a tabletop exercise will also be held on 13 September to address a number of matters.
The defense minister remarked that representatives of other countries, international organizations, military attaches had been invited to watch the active phase of the exercise. Multiple representatives of mass media have been accredited as well.
Asked about hype and pressure surrounding the forthcoming army exercise in a number of mass media, Andrei Ravkov said: “They write a lot. You have to bear in mind that they also write a lot with a lot of fearmongering and the rest when we hold parades in Minsk. Once the parade is over, they stop writing as early as 14:00. The same will happen after the army exercise ends.”
The defense minister underlined that the Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2017 is an event that was scheduled back in 2009. “This is why I see no sense in further efforts to raise hype about it,” added Andrei Ravkov.
