Updated National Security Concept and draft law on people’s militia to be discussed by Security Council headed by Lukashenko
The President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, is holding a meeting of the Security Council, which was submitted drafts of the updated National Security Concept and the law On the People’s Militia, BelTA reports
The current version of the concept was approved in November 2010.
“Based on the events that are taking place here, in the region, in the world, it seems that the time has come to update the National Security Concept, especially since our neighbours from NATO have already modernised their strategic documents, taking into account threats and digital technologies. Moreover, the necessary infrastructure has been created in the immediate vicinity of our borders: cyber troops and a network of NATO cyber centres. There is no doubt that of all the risks to national security, information security is becoming the main pain point,” the President said in February 2021, speaking at the 6th Belarusian People’s Congress.
Aleksandr Lukashenko discussed the preparation of the updated document in September 2022 at a meeting with State Secretary of Belarus’ Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich.
“I would ask that it be absolutely frank before we consider it during the Security Council. There is no need to hide anything based on some political or even economic motives. We must honestly describe the existing risks and threats, and our reaction to them, enabling our neighbours and others to know how we will respond. So that they don’t say that it was a surprise for someone. There is no need to hide anything. Everything must be done honestly,” the Belarusian leader stressed.
“We must clearly spell out everything so that everyone knows in advance, especially in our society – how we will defend ourselves and what our actions will be,” the Head of State added.
As far as the draft law on the people’s militia is concerned, the preparation of such a document has already been repeatedly reported at various levels. The law should define the legal foundations of the people’s militia, the procedure for recruiting and training it. It was reported that such detachments could be formed solely for the purpose of protecting our territory and country in wartime.
In June 2022, Aleksandr Lukashenko also spoke on this topic in a conversation with journalists, recalling that some time ago, on his initiative, a decision was made to establish territorial defence troops.
“Because no one will defend one’s own home like you do,” the Belarusian leader said. “All our territories are assigned, organised into regiments and battalions. We know their names, all their data. Weapons have been prepared for them – for every district, for every battalion.”
The Head of State noted that the people’s militia could be a reserve for territorial defence forces, and in the event of hostilities, be transformed, including into a partisan movement.
“Just in case, we need to have this people’s militia – a group of people – at every village council. There will be few of them, maybe, fifty people. But they should also have their weapons somewhere in the warehouse. We call them for training, enabling them to take their machine guns (mainly a machine gun, a grenade launcher, a pistol) to protect their home,” Aleksandr Lukashenko explained. The President instructed officials to work out the issue of how the people’s militia would be organised and how they would teach the use of basic types of weapons.
