Events

MOSCOW, 8 May (BelTA) - CSTO countries must be prepared to stand together to defend the sovereignty and independence, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at the informal meeting of leaders of the five states in Moscow, BelTA has learned.

The President of the Republic of Belarus believes that the current situation suggests that the decision to join the Collective Security Treaty Organization was the right one. Today neither Belarus Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, or Russia can live without thinking that these things happen somewhere far way. They are happening in the backyard,” the Belarusian leader said.

Alexander Lukashenko finds it symbolic that the meeting of the five heads of state is held in the run-up to Victory Day. "If something bad, God forbid, happens, we must be prepared to stand back to back, as the military people say, and defend our sovereignty and independence," said the President of Belarus. In his view, this is particularly important at a time when the West actually decided to escalate the tensions through the economy, finances, and attempts to impose economic sanctions.

Summing up the army control exercise of the Armed Forces of Russia, the Belarusian leader noted that it is an indication that Russia has something to defend herself with, has something with which to strike those who want to warm up their hands here on the Russian territory and solve their problems.” According to him, the exercise was important for Belarus because we saw the work of complexes in action, he added.

The Belarusian President noted that Russia's military strength means the protection of the interests of Belarus. According to the Belarusian leader, the CSTO has solidarity obligations with the Russian Federation in the zone of the CSTO responsibility and joint exercises. "We should be together", Alexander Lukashenko said.