Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 5 September (BelTA) – The forthcoming Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2017 is not meant to attack anyone, and foreign observers can make sure of it, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said at the meeting with the top-ranking representatives of the State Secretariat of the Security Council of Belarus, law enforcement bodies and national security agencies on 5 September, BelTA has learned.

“Before the beginning of the active phase of the Zapad 2017 army exercise I would like to listen to the report of the Defense Ministry on the situation in this field. I would like to say that it is time we already stopped explaining ourselves saying that the exercise is defensive. We have an army, a joint army group of Belarus and Russia in the western direction. It exists (we have never concealed this fact from anyone), and it should be trained. Just in case,” the Belarusian leader said.

“We are not going to attack anyone. We have invited almost everyone willing to attend our exercise. Let them come and see,” Alexander Lukashenko said.