Opinions & Interviews

Belarus, Russia to work harder to jointly counteract common threats

An archive photo

MOSCOW, 9 September (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia will step up the joint counteraction of common challenges and threats. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement after negotiations with President of Russia Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 9 September, BelTA has learned.

Apart from tighter Belarus-Russia integration Aleksandr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin discussed in detail the current international problems, relations with neighboring countries and associations. The presidents spoke at length about the situation in instability zones, primarily in Afghanistan, from the point of view of threats to the security of the Union State of Belarus and Russia.

Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked: “In this context it is of primary importance to ensure all-round security of our countries and the Collective Security Treaty Organization as a whole. All of us will approve a common stance on the problem together during forthcoming events in Dushanbe [summits of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization]. Even Belarus feels consequences of the Afghan crisis although the country is in the center of Europe and far from the theater of war. Look at what is happening to refugees at our borders. Look at what ‘progressive’ West does. Moreover, they constantly rattle their sabers.”

In this context Aleksandr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin touched upon the Belarusian-Russian strategic army exercise Zapad 2021.”We will only increase the joint counteraction of common challenges and threats,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated. “Don’t shout about our organization of this exercise. We have an army, a joint battle group in the western direction. It has to be trained in the arts of war. We do nothing extraordinary.”

According to the head of state, the meeting also touched upon matters concerning further normalization of transport communication, manufacturing cooperation in the area of microelectronics and in civil engineering.

“Yes, we are convinced it is necessary to expand the practice of using the R&D and manufacturing potential in the Union State of Belarus and Russia,” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

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