“Today we are facing new risks and challenges to national security. Today's realities are hybrid wars, cyberthreats, biohazard issues, military conflicts, international terrorism, and the use of artificial intelligence for criminal purposes. These and other threats affect all states. They need to be dealt with. Effective solutions need to be developed. This conference is devoted to these issues. The international security architecture is falling apart in front of our eyes. The arsenal of means of pressure includes such methods as political, economic sanctions and military activity in the territories of neighboring states. Belarus, unfortunately, also comes under the entire arsenal of these means of pressure. What is happening in the bordering states cannot but cause concern. This is NATO's build-up, and the number of military exercises,” said Aleksandr Volfovich.
According to the state secretary of the Security Council, these and other issues raised at the conference require an active discussion with leading scientists and experts and the development of effective solutions for their use in the preparation of a new version of the national security concept of the Republic of Belarus.
Over the past year, more than 50 major exercises took place in neighboring countries, including near the Belarusian borders. “Five exercises are underway in Poland and Latvia, with the troops involved exceeding 14,000. Is this number big or not? Probably it is enough to unleash a border conflict or provoke a neighboring country to take adequate measures in response. Proceeding from this fact, keeping the Armed Forces and all the forces and means of the national security system in general in full combat alert is the most important factor. This is probably the reason why these issues are under constant control of the President of Belarus and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Much attention is paid to the development of the Armed Forces as the state's main military organization. The country purchases new planes, helicopters, armored vehicles, multiple rocket launchers, observation and targeting equipment, and automated troop control systems. The issues of personnel training are also under the president's control. Command and staff exercises are held on a regular basis. Another important vector that will be addressed, including during the conference, is the military and political one. For us this is the CIS, CSTO, cooperation with our strategic partners, the Russian Federation and China. Only together we can develop a set of measures that will make it possible to respond to these threats,” the state secretary said.
The military and patriotic education of young people is an important issue, too. “This is the basis of national security, preservation of spiritual and moral values, one of the most important tasks for any state. Legislative issues, appropriate amendments to laws, decrees and other regulatory documents are also an important component,” Aleksandr Volfovich added.
On 25-26 November, the National Security Institute, together with the State Security Committee, is hosting the 9th International Conference “Security in the Context of Transforming Threats: Present-Day Problems and Solutions”, timed to the 75th anniversary of the institute.
The conference is an annual forum held to exchange opinions, research results and practical achievements of recognized experts among representatives of security agencies and special services, the academic community, government agencies, institutions of higher education, Belarus' partner countries.
This year the organizing committee has received over 300 applications for participation from representatives of ten countries (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Vietnam, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan) and five international organizations (the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center, the CIS Executive Committee, the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly).
The conference is divided into five sectional platforms. In particular, the participants of the conference are set to discuss theoretical and methodological approaches and problems of ensuring international, national and regional security (historical memory and historical policy, problems of theory and practice of ensuring international, regional and national security, counteraction to terrorist manifestations, staff training in security provision), law as a tool of ensuring personal, public and state security (legal provision of information security and national security policy, legal provision of information security and human rights), psychological aspects of national security (destructive information and psychological impact on the individual, society and state; social and psychological aspects and problems of applying the achievements of psychological science in the practical activities of security and special services, the psychology of terrorism).
The participants will also consider information technologies in the context of security (digitalization as a global challenge and the reserve of security, information protection and information security, information technology in security activities, current issues of information and analytical activities: automation of information search and analysis, the reserves of artificial intelligence), and the activities of intelligence agencies and security services to ensure the security of individuals, society and the state.
Aleksandr Volfovich took part in the opening ceremony of the conference and addressed the forum participants with a welcoming speech on behalf of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
