Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 13 June (BelTA) – Belarus will always be true to its commitments as part of the collective rapid response forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko made the statement as he met with the defense ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states on 13 June, BelTA has learned.

Alexander Lukashenko stressed: “We will always be true to our commitments concerning the collective rapid response forces. It is our common army unit. They get trained in all the states and we always take part in these exercises.”

The head of state also assured that Belarus appreciates the fact that the country has been entrusted with guarding the western direction. “As always, we implement all the measures in a very responsible manner so that our potential adversary would abandon all thought that our army is not ready and that our joint Belarusian-Russian armed force is not ready to repulse any strike by the potential adversary,” continued Alexander Lukashenko.

The head of state remarked: “We are often criticized — Russia particularly — that we rattle our sabers.” In response Alexander Lukashenko stated: “We don’t rattle any weapons. At least neither I nor President Putin have welcomed foreign troops in their territory with as much fanfare as the president of Poland when NATO forces were deployed next to the Belarusian border, our common border. We don’t do things like that. Everyone arranges army exercises along the perimeter of the responsibility areas all the time. They do rattle their sabers. We look at it, make conclusions but don’t cry every time that something is wrong. Armies and troops need training. Foreign armies are free to do it. But we should be able to do the same. It is what armies do. Let me assure you once again that there must be no doubts about the plan of action of the Belarusian army in the responsibility area, in the western direction.”