MINSK, 18 July (BelTA) - In the field of arms control, Belarus adheres to the principle of non-escalation of confrontation, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei told the media in Minsk on 18 July, BelTA has learned.
"As for our policy, from now on it will depend on the behavior of Western partners. In no way we intend to contribute to escalating the arms race or confrontation. On the contrary, we have an interest in ensuring greater stability and peace in our region. This is our basic principle, and we will be guided by it in the field of arms control and confidence-building measures," the minister stressed.
On 20 June, Belarus resumed verification activities under the existing international treaties in the field of arms control, including the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and the Vienna Document of 2011. Notifications have been sent to all OSCE participating states.
Later, Belarus sent Latvia a request to visit one of its military units, but the Belarusian verification team was denied access. Such actions of Latvia are a violation of international obligations, Vladimir Makei noted.
"We regard this in an absolutely negative light. We will act in the reciprocal way in case of receiving relevant requests from such irresponsible states as today's Latvia. The principle of reciprocity has not been abolished. We will carefully consider all requests," the minister assured.
