CIS defense ministers approve joint military cooperation activities for 2027

MINSK, 2 April (BelTA) – The CIS Defense Ministers Council has approved joint military cooperation activities for 2027, the press service of the Belarusian Defense Ministry told BelTA.

Moscow hosted the 86th meeting of the CIS Defense Ministers Council under the chairmanship of Russia’s Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. Taking part in the event were delegations from Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The meeting featured a substantive exchange of views on current international issues and the development of military cooperation under present conditions. Particular attention was given to analyzing the military-political situation and Eurasian security, as well as practical matters of ensuring regional stability through military cooperation within the CIS format.

Priority attention was devoted to implementing the concept of military cooperation among CIS member states through 2030 in the interests of national security and regional stability. Special focus was placed on the functioning of the joint air defense system and the joint system for monitoring and assessing the radiological, chemical, and biological situation, their development prospects, and improving interaction among national forces within these systems, taking into account modern combat experience.

“The military-political situation in the world is characterized by negative dynamics and growing tension. Due to a number of objective factors, risks, challenges, and threats to CIS member states in the military sphere are highly diverse. In the Eastern European region, they have now reached a large scale. The North Atlantic Alliance continues targeted preparations for war and openly declares its readiness for armed confrontation in the coming years. NATO member states bordering Belarus have increased their military spending four- to fivefold over the past decade and do not intend to stop. Our efforts to de-escalate tensions and proposals to restore balanced and respectful dialogue on security issues, which, I am convinced, would benefit all sides, receive no response. This position of our Western neighbors clearly shows that they rely exclusively on military force to pursue their geopolitical interests,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said.

He also noted that the situation in the Middle East has become no less alarming and may soon create new, multifaceted challenges for CIS partners in terms of both security and the economy. “We believe that the deployment of additional U.S. naval and ground forces to the region will only prolong and further exacerbate the situation. Ultimately, destabilization and military conflicts in Europe or Asia inevitably affect all of us,” he added.

Viktor Khrenin stressed that under these conditions, the key task is to develop adequate measures to strengthen the strategic resilience of CIS states and their ability to counter emerging threats. “Among the priority areas for joint work, we consider it essential to strengthen military cooperation within the CIS. It is also necessary to ensure technological sovereignty, enhance the combat potential of national armed forces, and improve the capabilities of various joint military cooperation systems within the CIS. Attention should also be given to improving unmanned and autonomous systems, early-warning systems, high-precision weapons, and expanding the role of artificial intelligence,” the minister emphasized.

He added that it is necessary to develop military-to-military dialogue channels, making the armed forces not only an effective deterrent but also a tool for conflict prevention and confidence-building, and to develop common approaches in this area.

To improve military cooperation and strengthen the combat capabilities of CIS armed forces, the Defense Ministers Council approved the plan for implementing the military cooperation concept through 2030, supported amendments to the 14 November 2008 agreement on cooperation in monitoring the radiological, chemical, and biological situation, approved joint military cooperation activities for 2027, reviewed financial and personnel matters, and issued instructions for further development of military cooperation. Decisions on all agenda items were signed following the meeting. They are aimed at furthering cooperation in the military area and strengthening the armed forces of CIS member states.