MINSK, 28 December (BelTA) – Accusing Belarus of orchestrating the border crisis does not hold water, said Major-General Oleg Voinov, Chief of the International Military Cooperation Department of the Belarusian Defense Ministry, Defense Minister Aide for International Military Cooperation, BelTA has learned.
“Migration-related issues have been making headlines in the region recently. They keep playing their role in the campaign to interfere in the domestic affairs of Belarus through sanctions and other non-constructive measures. The fifth round of anti-Belarus sanctions was adopted against the background of the migrant crisis. This said, the accusations against the Republic of Belarus of orchestrating the current border crisis do not stand up to criticism,” Oleg Voinov said.
He emphasized that Belarus is neither the source nor the cause of this situation. “This has already been said many times over at all levels of government. In addition, it is obvious that the Republic of Belarus, in view of its location and openness, acts only as a transit country on the way of refugees, and their destination is the European Union, primarily Germany, France and the United Kingdom. It is no secret that every day hundreds and even thousands of migrants try to get to the UK from France through the English Channel. Yet, for some reason France is not accused of supplying migrants and creating a crisis on the border with Great Britain. In the same way, thousands of migrants penetrate some European countries through the territory of other European countries. It does not cause any uproar. This is called the policy of double standards,” Oleg Voinov said.
Invitations to take part in the briefing held by the Defense Ministry were sent to members of the Minsk Association of Military Attaches, as well as military attachés of European states based in Moscow and Kyiv with concurrent accreditation with the Defense Ministry of the Republic of Belarus. During the briefing, the foreign military attaches were provided with up-to-date and objective information on the state of the military and political situation in the region with a focus on unfriendly moves of individual countries against Belarus. The briefing discussed the ongoing military buildup in the areas bordering the Republic of Belarus, as well as the suspension of collaboration with individual countries in the field of confidence- and security-building in the region. The Belarusian Defense Ministry said that it is ready to resume constructive cooperation if it is based on mutual respect and the principle of equality. The ministry noted that rapprochement should be initiated by those countries that terminated cooperation with the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus.
