MINSK, 13 November (BelTA) – Belarus-Russia cooperation in defense and security is particularly tight and involves no issues at all. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the relevant statement in an interview with Igor Korotchenko, a military expert and Editor-in-Chief of the Russian magazine Natsionalnaya Oborona [national defense] on 9 November, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “We have absolutely no issues in defense and security. I just cannot tell you everything. We've staged, stage, and will stage such operations to protect our security that no West, no the European Union can even imagine. We have absolutely no problems. If we need to be involved. And Russians have finally understood that Belarus' KGB may be considerably smaller but it is a powerful fist.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that it is necessary to embrace technologies, train people in this sphere. Belarus and Russia established cooperation in this sphere a long time ago. “Belarusian people are being trained in Russia in all specializations. Albeit a handful of people. In order to train a high-ranking government official, he needs to see what is happening in our country, in Russia,” the head of state said. “And Belarusians study together with Russians. In the time of [the first president of the Russian Federation Boris] Yeltsin there was a moment when Kazakhs, Belarusians, and other ones were trained together with foreigners. I asked Boris Yeltsin whether he understood what a stain it was on our relations. And I raised this issue when Putin became the president. Everything was settled within several months. So there are no secrets.”
The president noted that in the distant past the main competences in the relevant areas were concentrated in Moscow – both Soviet intelligence and counterintelligence. “A huge base, knowledge. And Putin opened it for Belarusians. We learn together, we see how things are done in Belarus and Russia, and we make the relevant conclusions. Military personnel and diplomats represent a shining example of our relations. When we convene for sessions of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, we also mention diplomats, military, security, special operations units, and the rest, they have never even argued,” the Belarusian leader stressed.
Moreover, Belarus and Russia mainly use the same weapons, tactical, theoretical, and practical techniques. “It allows us, allows security agencies to stage joint operations since we talk the same language,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
