The Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Shoigu believes that the level of Russian–Belarusian military cooperation is optimal

Joint Collegium of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus held a remote meeting attended by the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Shoigu. According to the Department of Media Affairs and Information of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, the Minister of Defence noted in his opening address that the Republic of Belarus was and still is our closest neighbour, a reliable ally and strategic partner.
“This is especially important amid continuing global instability and growing distrust in state-to-state relations, when attempts are made to undermine the foundations of international law and the interests of sovereign states are ignored,” said Sergei Shoigu.
According to him, “in the current military and political situation in the region, as well as amid new challenges and threats, primarily those of international terrorism, the Russian Ministry of Defence considers it a priority to ensure the military security of the Union State.”
The coronavirus pandemic was unable to weaken the military cooperation between our countries. The formation of a common defence space within the borders of the Union State continues. A common Military Doctrine has been adopted, regional military group and the Unified Regional Air Defence System are functioning.
Special attention has been paid to training the armed forces and increasing the combat capabilities of the regional military group.
Operational and combat training is being carried out within international organizations, primarily the CSTO. For instance, the recent Unbreakable Brotherhood 2020 peacekeeping exercise demonstrated increased competence and coherence of our troops.
“I believe,” Sergei Shoigu said, “that the level of Russian–Belarusian cooperation in the military sphere is optimal.”
Viktor Khrenin, Minister of Defence of Belarus, noted in his turn that the frequency of NATO exercises is increasing in the countries bordering Belarus, and the presence of the US Army is growing. RIA Novosti quotes the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Belarus: “"In the past years, NATO rotation group in the countries bordering Belarus has increased by over 17 times, reaching 10,000 servicemen.”
“The United States, with the support of NATO allies, withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, Open Skies Treaty and Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and refused to ratify the adapted version of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. All of this, according to Mr Khrenin, is aimed at “undermining international and regional security and providing a legal foundation for militarizing the European continent by means of a permanent American presence.”
According to BELTA, meeting participants discussed the main issues related to the organization and conduct of Zapad 2021 (“West 2021”), a joint strategic exercise of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia, which will be next year’s main joint training event for military authorities and troops, ensuring further improvement of the current system of military security of the Union State.
During the Collegium meeting, a number of documents was signed aimed at further development and deepening of military cooperation between Russia and Belarus and improvement of the joint military systems. The Collegium approved the plan of the Zapad 2021 joint strategic exercise of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia, the 2021 bilateral-cooperation plan and the action plan for the Joint Collegium for the next year. Several decrees were signed: on holding joint special exercises in preparation for the joint strategic exercise, on joint efforts to counter the attempts to falsify the causes, outcomes and legacy of the Second World War and the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, on joint air border protection of the Union State as part of the Unified Regional Air Defence System. The meeting of the Joint Collegium was held in an atmosphere of full understanding. The Ministers of Defence expressed confidence that the implementation of the decisions would contribute to increased cooperation between the military agencies of the two countries and strengthening the defence capabilities of the Union State.
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