MINSK, 27 October (BelTA) – A joint session of the boards of the Belarusian Defense Ministry and the Russian one took place on 27 October. The videoconference session was chaired by Belarusian Defense Minister, Major-General Viktor Khrenin, BelTA has learned.
The Belarusian part of the session took place in the strategic command center of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. State Secretary of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Grigory Rapota, representatives of the State Secretariat of the Security Council, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, the representative office of the Standing Committee of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, the office of the Russian attaché, and experts of the Defense Ministry took part in it.
The main purpose of the session was to organize practical work to create and enhance the necessary joint military potential for counteracting military threats and challenges directed against the Union State of Belarus and Russia.
Participants of the session summed up results of the work of the Belarusian Defense Ministry and the Russian one in the period under review, results of measures and events meant to ensure the military security of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. Results of the joint work of the general staffs on planning the deployment of the Belarusian-Russian regional military force in response to changes of the military and political situation and the forecast of its development till 2025 were also discussed.
The session also touched upon the main aspects of organization of the Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2021, which will be the main event in the course of joint training of military command and control bodies and troops in 2021 and will ensure further improvement of the existing military security system of the Union State of Belarus and Russia.
A number of documents meant to further advance and deepen Belarus-Russia military cooperation and improve the joint military systems were also signed.
The sides approved the concept of the Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2021, the Belarusian-Russian cooperation plan for 2021, and the plan of work of the joint board of the Belarusian Defense Ministry and the Russian one for 2021. A resolution was signed on arranging joint special exercises ahead of the strategic one. A resolution was signed on joint efforts to counteract attempts to falsify causes, results, and the legacy of World War Two and the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. A resolution was signed on the joint defense of the aerial border of the Union State of Belarus and Russia within the framework of the joint regional air defense system.
The session of the joint board proceeded in an atmosphere of complete mutual understanding. The defense ministers said they were confident that the fulfillment of the decisions that had been made would contribute to stronger interaction between the defense ministries and to a stronger defensive capability of the Union State of Belarus and Russia.
The Belarusian defense minister met with State Secretary of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Grigory Rapota. A number of matters concerning the implementation of Union State programs in the military sphere were discussed.
