Lavrov: Moscow and Minsk will develop military co-operation
Russia and Belarus intend to develop military co-operation due to the unwillingness of the West to compromise – as stated by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, TASS reports
“I would like to note that the work of our foreign ministries is aimed at finding ways to resolve any issues through political and diplomatic means. Nevertheless, due to the unwillingness of the West to seek compromise solutions, the Programme [of Co-ordinated Actions in the Foreign Policy – TASS remark] includes provisions concerning co-ordination of co-operation on military-political aspects, and also development of military co-operation," Mr. Lavrov said.
According to the Minister, the updated Military Doctrine of the Union State – approved by the Supreme State Council on November 4th – will be an important help in such work, “It fully takes into account the significant changes in the military-political situation in Eastern Europe that have occurred in recent years.”
On November 10th, Sergey Lavrov and Belarus’ Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei signed a Programme of Co-ordinated Actions in the Foreign Policy of the State-Parties to the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State for 2022-2023.
The leaders of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Aleksandr Lukashenko, approved the updated Military Doctrine of the Union State of Russia and Belarus on November 4th at a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State. As the State Secretary of the Union State, Dmitry Mezentsev, noted later, the military doctrine became a response to the western pressure policy and it would ensure a higher level of interaction between the two states’ defence ministries. At the same time, he assured that ‘neither Russia nor Belarus threaten anyone’, “They do not seek any kind of domination outside their own borders, but the defence doctrine confirms that the external borders of the Union State are reliably protected’.
