MINSK, 21 January (BelTA) – Head of the Belarus President Administration Igor Sergeyenko introduced newly appointed Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin and new Chief of the General Staff Aleksandr Volfovich to the team of the Defense Ministry on 21 January, BelTA has learned.
“The head of state emphasized that both of them know the army inside and out, they are people ‘of the same caliber', they climbed all the way to the top of the career ladder, they commanded platoons and battalions. They are very proficient in theory, too. Each of them has a wealth of experience in leading all kinds of military units, as well as staff work. They are highly professional commanders with a great vision and excellent managerial skills,” Igor Sergeyenko said.
He recalled that the president set out the main tasks that are to be addressed by the Defense Ministry. First of all, it is necessary to give more weight to the army, which means efforts to preserve and improve the workforce capacity. It is also importance to increase the prestige of military service. There will be unannounced checks in the army with a view to assessing readiness to perform training and combat tasks. “The assessment of your work will be impartial, fair and fundamental,” Igor Sergeyenko noted.
The new defense minister underlined that the priorities will remain the same: “I believe that the Armed Forces are up to the expectations of the head of state and people, however I am convinced that there is always room for improvement. In my new role I will focus on fulfilling the tasks set by the president. I am fully aware that I will have to study and learn a lot.”
A reminder, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko appointed the new defense minister and the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus on 20 January. Major-General Viktor Khrenin, who led the troops of the Western Operational Command, was appointed Belarus' Defense Minister. Major-General Aleksandr Volfovich, who previously served as First Deputy Head of the General Staff, was appointed Head of the General Staff.
