Projects
Government Bodies
Flag Thursday, 28 March 2024
All news
All news
Society
30 November 2020, 10:17

Belarus might send more peacekeepers to crisis regions

MINSK, 30 November (BelTA) – Seven Belarusian peacekeepers are currently in Lebanon, Dmitry Ryabikhin, head of the international military cooperation and peacekeeping activities department of the command of special operations forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus told the STV TV channel, BelTA informs.

“At present, there are seven military peacekeepers in Lebanon, three of them are staff officers and four are healthcare workers. The core of our contingent are medical professionals, let's call it a signature feature of Belarus, because these people will not only help stabilize the situation, but will also provide medical care to both peacekeepers and the local population, that is, they will perform humanitarian tasks,” Dmitry Ryabikhin said. He noted that these specialists receive only positive feedback. In accordance with the legislation of Belarus and the agreements reached with the UN, Belarusian military personnel carries out peacekeeping tasks in Lebanon for up to 12 months.

Speaking in more detail about the Belarusian peacekeepers, Dmitry Ryabikhin noted that the candidates are selected in appropriate units, they have to meet a number of requirements. “They undergo the necessary training, in other words, they will never be sent to perform any missions without appropriate training. Moreover, according to the legislation of Belarus, only servicemen serving under a military enlistment contract are sent to participate in peacekeeping activities. This is a unique unit in the Armed Forces, and in this unit any position can be filled by a female soldier/officer. Currently, there are three women in the unit and they have a good service record,” Dmitry Ryabikhin said.

According to him, the Defense Ministry is currently considering a possibility to expand the scope of participation of the Armed Forces of Belarus in peacekeeping activities. A number of visits were organized with this in mind. “Now senior officials of the Armed Forces and the Defense Ministry are considering various locations; negotiations on joint participation are underway with other countries. Peacekeeping activities are an integral part of the foreign policy of the state; this has a significant impact on the country's reputation abroad. As for the Armed Forces, the experience that we get in the crisis regions of the world is priceless,” Dmitry Ryabikhin said.

Subscribe to us
Twitter
Recent news from Belarus