MINSK, 24 August (BelTA) – Chairman of the State Authority for Military Industry of Belarus Dmitry Pantus met with Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia Dmitry Shugayev on the sidelines of the Army 2020 forum. The meeting took place as part of preparations for the next session of the Belarusian-Russian intergovernmental commission on military technology cooperation, which will take place in Belarus this year, BelTA has learned.
Dmitry Pantus and Dmitry Shugayev discussed a broad range of matters of bilateral cooperation, including in the interests of third countries, and ways to advance cooperation. Matters concerning the development of a new program on Belarus-Russia military technology cooperation for the next five-year period were discussed. During the previous session of the Belarusian-Russian intergovernmental commission on military technology cooperation in Tula the sides came to an understanding about the development of the new program.
Dmitry Pantus invited his Russian colleague to visit the 10th international defense technology expo MILEX 2021, which will take place in Minsk on 23-26 June. A high level of interaction was noted during the talks and the interest in further advancement of cooperation was confirmed.
Belarus and Russia build their mutual relations on the basis of a strategic partnership. Mechanisms for cooperation in the sphere of military technology have been created to allow accomplishing all tasks on a mutually beneficial basis. In 2019 alone Russia accounted for over 30% of the total export of Belarusian defense companies.
Belarusian and Russian defense technology contractors maintain manufacturing cooperation. The Belarusian side supports Russia's efforts to modernize the army, create new weapons and military hardware, localize defense manufacturing, and build up its human resources and manufacturing potential. At present about 300 enterprises in Belarus and Russia supply each other with components, individual weapons and samples of military hardware. A number of R&D programs of the Union State of Belarus and Russia are in progress. Joint ventures are being set up.
Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas visited the Belarusian exposition on the first day of the Army 2020 forum. He examined the products on display. The Russian deputy prime minister in charge of overseeing the development of the Russian defense industry also visited the Belarusian national exposition.
