Opinions & Interviews

MOSCOW, 21 October (BelTA) - Military cooperation between Belarus and Russia is aimed, among other things, at maintaining peace and stability in the Eastern European region, Belarus’ Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov said at a joint session of the defense ministries of Russia and Belarus, BelTA has learned.

"An important element of Belarus-Russia cooperation is the interaction to ensure security, establish the common defense space of the Union State, maintain peace and stability in the Eastern European region,” the Minister said.

He noted that the defense capability of the Union State grows stronger every year, which shows that the process of military integration between the two countries is irreversible. "Collective defense of Belarus and Russia is not only a reliable shield in the Belarusian-Russian relations but also an important element of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the western direction," said Andrei Ravkov.

The Minister noted that the Belarusian-Russian military-technical cooperation has been developing dynamically. According to him, almost all samples of the equipment bought abroad for the Belarusian army are Russia made.

"The interaction between our defense departments can be described as the model one in the post-Soviet space," Andrei Ravkov said.